AIN Roundtable—Industry Leaders Take on Workforce Issues

Leaders point to shortage of skilled and experienced talent, need for retention

Round Table participants, May 2024 — From left, Katie Johnson, chief people officer for West Star Aviation; Tonya Sudduth, head of U.S. strategy for Bombardier; Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International; Melissa Fitzgerald-Drew, executive v-p of client services for Solairus. © AIN

By Kerry Lynch • Editor, AIN monthly magazine

May 1, 2024

When asked before the Covid-19 pandemic what issues kept business executives up at night, more often than not, workforce would be the top answer. After a brief reprieve during the early days of Covid-19, those issues came roaring back with the complications that accompanied the pandemic. AIN brought together thought leaders on this issue to discuss what’s happening now, whether industry efforts are helping to restore the pipeline of the next-generation workers, and what needs to be done for the future. Here are some of the highlights from that discussion. West Star Aviation sponsored this roundtable.

THE PARTICIPANTS

Katie Johnson—chief people officer for West Star Aviation

With a 75-year history, West Star Aviation has become one of the largest independent MRO providers, employing more than 3,000 professionals and spanning a dozen locations, including at full-service stations in East Alton, Illinois; Grand Junction, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Millville, New Jersey; Perryville, Missouri; and Statesville, North Carolina, as well as at satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Chicago, and West Palm Beach. The MRO offers maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, along with extensive aircraft-on-ground and mobile repair services nationwide.

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