What MRO Europe 2026 told us about the people side of maintenance

Five takeaways from Amsterdam for recruitment agencies, MROs and the engineers they rely on

At the end of October we spent two days at MRO Europe at the RAI in Amsterdam. It is the second year in a row that Air Talent Management has attended, and the conversations were very different from last year.

We met recruitment agencies, MROs, training providers, technology companies and industry media. Different businesses, from different countries, with different priorities. Yet almost every meeting ended up in the same place.

The aircraft are there. The hangar slots are there. The work is there. The challenge is people, and how those people are employed.

Here is what we took away.

1. The shortage is certified people, not capacity

Every MRO we spoke to is planning around the same constraint: finding licensed engineers who are ready to start. B1 and B2 certifying staff are the scarcest profile across the whole industry. Engine shops face the same problem with their own skilled technicians.

This changes how projects are won. Having the hangar and the contract is no longer enough. The MRO that can staff a check on time, with the right type ratings, is the one that keeps the customer.

For agencies, this means the value is no longer only in finding a CV. It is in delivering an engineer who can actually start on the planned date, in the right country, with everything in order.

2. The contractor model is under pressure

For years, a large part of the European maintenance workforce has worked as self employed contractors or through personal limited companies. That model is not disappearing, but it is getting harder to defend.

End clients are asking more questions. Who is the employer? Is social security being paid, and where? Is there an A1 certificate for every technician working outside their home country? What happens in an audit?

Several agencies told us they are seeing more requests for technicians employed under a clear structure, with social security covered and A1 certificates issued before day one. The risk of getting it wrong falls on the agency and on the end client, not only on the contractor.

At the same time, many contractors are tired of running their own company: accountants, invoices, tax filings in more than one country. A permanent contract with a proper employer, deployed to projects across Europe, is becoming an attractive alternative for a growing number of engineers.

3. Agencies and employers work better as partners

The agencies we met want to stay focused on what they do best: finding talent, understanding their clients and managing the relationship. Cross border employment is a different job. It means payroll, social security, A1 applications, posted worker notifications in each country and minimum wage checks.

This is exactly the space Air Talent Management works in. We employ skilled technical staff on permanent contracts under Maltese law and deploy them to project sites across Europe. We handle the employment, payroll and posted worker compliance. The agency keeps its client relationship, and the end client keeps the technical and operational direction of the work.

Everyone does the part they are best at. That is why we see ourselves as a partner for agencies, never as a competitor.

4. Mobility across borders is now part of the job

Projects move fast. An MRO in one country needs a team in two weeks, and the right engineers are spread across five others.

Each country has its own rules. Some require a notification before work starts, some have sector minimum wages, some have specific rules on who can act as an employer. A team that crosses borders needs someone who knows those rules and keeps the paperwork in order for every assignment.

The engineers with the most options today are not always the most experienced ones. They are the ones willing to move, with their documents ready.

5. Technology changes the tools, not the need for certified people

The exhibition halls were full of new technology. Drones that inspect an entire aircraft in a short time. Infrared and 3D scanning equipment that finds damage inside composite structures without removing panels. AI software that analyses borescope images and flags what needs a closer look. Digital training platforms that adapt to each student.

All of this makes maintenance faster and more precise. None of it replaces the certified engineer who makes the decision and signs the release to service. If anything, it raises the bar: the engineers who learn to use these tools will be the ones in demand.

What this means for 2027

For recruitment agencies, the opportunity is to offer clients a compliant structure, not only a candidate. Agencies that can answer the employer and social security questions clearly will win more contracts and keep their engineers longer.

For MROs, it is worth asking every supplier a simple question: how exactly are these technicians employed? The answer matters more every year.

For engineers, the message is clear. Your licence is worth more than ever. Keep your type ratings current, keep your English strong and be open to working in more than one country.

Thank you, Amsterdam

Thank you to everyone who made time to meet us at MRO Europe. We left with new partners, good ideas and a clear view of where the industry is going.

If you are a recruitment agency working with MROs, OEMs or manufacturing facilities in Europe and want to understand how we can work together, contact us at contact@airtalentmanagement.com and we will explain how it works.

If you are an aircraft mechanic and want to work on projects across Europe with a permanent contract, social security covered and everything in order, write to us at contact@airtalentmanagement.com and we will explain how it works.