According to the newly released 2016 Aircraft Electronics Association Rate and Labor Survey, 89 percent of avionics shops expect their businesses to grow in the next 12 months, up from 81 percent in last year’s survey. By region, facilities on the U.S. West Coast were most optimistic, with 96 percent predicting a business pickup, followed by the East Coast at 87 percent and Central U.S. at 85 percent.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents attribute their future business growth to avionics mandates, up 20 points from last year. To take advantage of the growth fueled by the approaching Jan. 1, 2020 deadline for the FAA’s ADS-B mandate, shops will need to “find, hire and train these new technicians, an effort nearly nine out of 10 respondents deemed ‘difficult,’” AEA noted.

The association said that the “overwhelming need” for avionics installation technicians outpaces the need for bench techs by more than three to one and A&P mechanics by nearly two to one. “This suggests that many avionics repair stations are at or near their capacity, and that growth depends on increasing their staff,” the association said.