2026 – Edition 3 – April 3

Table of Contents

Note: The order of material varies in hotline emails, but is always presented the same on this landing page. Readers scrolling through content on or printing this page will find it organized consistent with the table of contents.

The 2026 Annual Conference Wrap Up
State of the Association
The Weston Award
Legal Brief
ARSA on the Hill
Training
Membership
2026 Market Report
Resources
Industry Meetings & Events

State of the Association

Annual Member Meeting

On Friday, March 20, ARSA Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto conducted the association’s Annual Member Meeting. The following recording (taken from the livestream presentation of the event) includes Levanto’s presentation.

8:00 a.m. | Annual Membership Meeting & Breakfast

ARSA’s leadership will overview the state of the association and update members on goals and priorities for the coming year.

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The 2026 Annual Conference Wrap Up

Thank You

March 17-20, 2026

2026 Event Information

Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C. with Livestream Options for Online Participants

ARSA is grateful for an incredibly successful 2026 Annual Conference. Where you there?  Use Online Toolbox for references and session materials (contact Brett Levanto for additional requests) and click here to provide your feedback. 

See you next year: March 9-12, 2027

We’ll Say it Again

March 17-20, 2026

2026 Event Information

ARSA continues to share its gratitude for the organizations who invested in the maintenance community’s premier substantive event. Their commitments support the Annual Conference in March and the association’s work throughout the year.

Administratium

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Platinum

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Gold

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Silver

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Contributors

 

How Did ARSA Do?

The After Party

March 17-20, 2026

2026 Event Information

Conference participants should continue to refer to the “Online Toolbox,” which has been updated with PDFs of all presentations as well as links to additional resources discussed during the event. It also includes an attendee directory (in the “General Resources” area) and information about accessing unedited recordings of event sessions (hint: they are in the same place the livestream was).

If there are materials you cannot find and/or believe should be included, please contact Brett Levanto. You can also help build the “record” of the event by sharing pictures with the team via the online event album.

Unedited session records are available to all Conference participants (access instructions are in the Online Toolbox). ARSA’s team will work with its technology partners to create special content based on activities during the Conference, so stay tuned to future web updates and periodicals (like this edition of the hotline.

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The Weston Award

ARSA Honors the Already Honorable

The Hon. John Goglia provides “Lessons from a Hall of Famer” after accepting the Weston Award on March 19.

During its Annual Repair Symposium on March 19, ARSA recognized the Honorable John Goglia with the association’s Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Government Service. The award is given regularly during the event, which is part of the association’s Annual Conference, to honor those improving aviation safety by strengthening the aerospace maintenance community.

First bestowed in 2005 on Weston himself, the award recognizes an influential figure in ARSA’s birth by honoring individuals who embody his commitment to the industry. As an FAA official, Weston advocated for the creation of an organization to represent the interests of maintenance providers. Since then – through his long life of professional and personal dedication to public good and continuing since his death in 2020 – he has been an inspiration for the association and its members. Goglia knew Weston personally and accepted the award with memories of sparring over compliance matters.

“John has worked hard to bring young people into the industry for years and one of those people, believe it or not, was me,” ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod said while announcing the Weston Award. MacLeod shared her memories of early meetings in which Goglia supported positions he knew to be right, even when they were unpopular; he stood up for the insight and expertise of those involved regardless of their pedigree or technical background.

A certificated mechanic whose career included a seat on the National Transportation Safety Board before transitioning into advocacy for maintenance career development, Goglia was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2024. He is the first technician to bear that honor since the Wright Brothers’ personal engineer and father of aerospace maintenance, Charlie Taylor.

Goglia has been known to ARSA’s executive team since long before he accumulated his now-formidable record of public service and recognition. He was not yet “the Honorable,” but an outspoken certificated mechanic and union representative. As an association also known for its outspoken leadership, the subsequent decades of collaboration with “Dr. John” have included vigorous, entertaining, and humorous discussions that always resulted in progress beneficial to the industry. ARSA’s management firm assisted in the business formation of the Aerospace Maintenance Council and the AMC Competition, which is Goglia’s great passion and a celebration of the skill, dedication, and commitment of technicians from around the world. Through his personal engagement, professional achievement, and the impact on so many others committed to the industry, John is an example of a technician who has “made good” for countless colleagues around the world.

“I’m home,” Goglia said as he accepted the award in front of maintenance personnel gathered for ARSA’s event. “This is my home. This is my people…We’re all cut from the same cloth. We all do the same things. Now we’ve got to pull together to change that paradigm [distracting attention from the importance of aerospace technicians].”

To celebrate Goglia’s honor, ARSA committed to raising money for the John J. Goglia Trophy Endowment Campaign. The trophy will be managed by the National Aeronautic Association and the only U.S. award focused solely on outstanding contributions in aviation maintenance. The association committed $1,000 dollars to the fund as part of its Weston Award celebration and encourages all its members and colleagues to get involved.

“I’m going to push this industry ahead,” Goglia said, noting his opportunity to support fellow technicians. “I’m going to get us the recognition we [deserve].”

To learn more about the Goglia Trophy campaign, click here.

To see previous Weston Award winners, click here.

For more information about the ARSA Annual Conference, which includes the Annual Repair Symposium as part of a full week of engagement, click here.

From the Symposium – Lessons from a Hall of Famer

After accepting the Weston Award on March 19, the Hon. John Goglia shared the benefit of his experience and enthusiasm with Conference participants. Goglia’s presentation and subsequent Q&A are provided for the benefit of ARSA members.

12:30 p.m. | Lunch with a Hall of Famer

Goglia Endowment Campaign information

John Goglia, Member, National Aviation Hall of Fame

Note: There is some turbulence in the early video resulting from the original stream that dissipates after the introduction.

Going Long for Goglia

John Goglia, photo courtesy NAA.

ARSA urges its members to join the association in supporting the campaign to establish the John J. Goglia Trophy. The National Aeronautic Association award will be the only U.S. prize recognizing excellence in aerospace maintenance, but only if its endowment gathers enough support.

To manifest its recognition of Goglia as the 2026 Leo Weston Award honoree, ARSA has invested $1,000 dollars in the campaign. Join the association by matching this company investment and/or contributing whatever personal funds you can.

Learn more about the campaign.

NAA aims to raise $200,000 to fund the Goglia Trophy in perpetuity. The endowment supports everything from the selection process to raising public awareness to annual program administration. Donations exceeding the base goal will be used to fund a maintenance-focused training scholarship.

Click here to contribute.

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Legal Brief

From the Symposium – Reciprocal Acceptance

The FAA’s Chris Parfitt made a big announcement on March 19. He officially reported, in the presence of international CAA colleagues and ARSA members, the FAA has begun the rulemaking process to institute an amendment to part 43 requested in 2020 by ARSA. Catch up on the industry’s pursuit of mutual recognition, then watch the exchange and subsequent discussion from the “Opening Salvo – Conversations with Regulators.”

9:30 a.m. | Opening Salvo – Conversations with the Regulators

International agencies will provide updates on the regulations, policies and procedures governing the maintenance industry.

Stuart Algar, Chief Surveyor, Head of Airworthiness, United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority

Lawrence Josuá Fernandes Costa, Continuing Airworthiness Certification Manager, Department of Flight Standards, ANAC Brazil

Aureo de Morais Vasconcelos, Civil Aviation Regulation Specialist, Department of Flight Standards, ANAC Brazil ONLINE

Ludovic Aron, Washington Representative, EASA

Karl Specht, Principal Coordinator Organisation Approvals, EASA, ONLINE

Raffaele Iovinella, Section Manager, Maintenance Organisation Oversight, EASA, ONLINE

Mallory Naill, Acting Deputy Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service, FAA

Chris Parfitt, Manager, General Aviation Group (AFS-340), Flight Standards Service, FAA

Moderator: Christian Klein, Executive Vice President, ARSA

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ARSA on the Hill

Legislative Priorities

On March 18, Legislative Day participants roamed Capitol Hill representing the international aviation maintenance community. Each participant personalized the industry’s story and connected individual experience to broad needs.

The priorities set by ARSA have a basic structure. Specific “asks” regarding bill support may vary, but regardless of a “yes” vote or co-sponsoring signature the standing policy needs of repair stations are consistent:

Improve FAA rulemaking and oversight. The most recent FAA reauthorization included numerous provisions to improve the development of aviation safety regulations and guidance materials, with a particular focus on transparency, consistency, and public engagement.

Expanding the Aviation Maintenance Workforce. Emphasis on Congress’ aggressive actions to address the chronic aviation technician shortage.

Enhancing access to maintenance data. For decades, ARSA members have complained about FAA’s failure to enforce regulations requiring design approval holders to share maintenance instructions (Instructions for Continued Airworthiness or ICA).

Ensuring U.S. operators have access to maintenance, wherever they fly. Policies requiring “surprise” overseas inspections, drug and alcohol testing programs, and other aggressive oversight actions disincentive foreign companies from providing services to U.S. operators, curtailing international operations, and heightening the risk of retaliation against the small business-dominated U.S. maintenance sector.

Improve Department of Defense contracting. Enhancing competition for DOD aviation maintenance services to reduce maintenance costs, improve readiness, reduce bureaucratic duplication, and expand government contracting opportunities for small and medium-sized companies.

To review ARSA’s complete Legislative Priorities, provided by Conference sponsor First Aviation Services, visit arsa.org/legislative/issues.

Regardless of whether you were with ARSA on Legislative Day, get active engaging elected officials every day. Start at arsa.org/congress.

From Legislative Day – Playing the Political Game

Looking ahead to November’s midterm elections, this ARSA-led discussion helped set the stage for Legislative Day participants and is provided for the benefit of members getting politically active back home.

10:00 a.m. | Playing the Political Game

The 2026 congressional elections provide an opportunity for the aviation maintenance industry to further build its political visibility and effectiveness. Klein will review individual campaign law finance contribution limits, discuss ways companies can build relationships with candidates, and explain how members can tap into ARSA PAC resources.

Naveen Rao, Principal, H4 Advisors LLC

Madison Smith, Principal, Ridge Path Strategies

Moderator: Christian Klein, Executive Vice President, ARSA

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Training & Career Development

SMS Integration Webinar Series Concluded

On March 10, ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association completed the final edition of six planned webinars – a monthly series begun in October – explaining effective integration of a safety management system within the operations of an FAA-certificated repair station. These hour-long virtual sessions help U.S.-based repair stations holding European approval to implement a part 5 compliant SMS programs as required by the special conditions of the bilateral agreement between the United States and European Union. This requirement to “design, implement, and maintain” an SMS should be met by effectively and efficiently integrating SMS into the facility’s existing quality system and daily operations.

The session materials and recording from completed webinars are available within the SMS tools managed by AEA and available for discounted access to ARSA members. Access to the recordings was also provided to attendees at ARSA’s 2026 Annual Conference.

• October 29, 2025 – SMS Integration Overview – COMPLETE
• November 18, 2025 – SMS Compliance Elements: Part 5 Subparts A & B – COMPLETE
• December 16, 2025 – SMS Compliance Elements: Part 5 Subparts C & D – COMPLETE
• January 20, 2026 – SMS Compliance Elements: Part 5 Subparts E & F – COMPLETE
• February 10, 2026 – SMS Integration Review – COMPLETE
• March 10, 2026 – Part 5 Gap Analysis in Total – COMPLETE

Interested ARSA members should learn about access to SMS tools available through the association’s partnership with AEA.

From the Symposium – Perspectives on Career Development

The third day of the Annual Conference consistently closes with a session considering career growth and continuous learning opportunities for maintenance professionals. Workforce-focused discussions never end in aerospace, so this session is provided for the benefit of ongoing member engagement and action.

4:00 p.m. | Perspectives on Career Growth

Many call a mechanic’s certificate a “license to learn,” but any career in aerospace maintenance – certificated or not – is a “license to grow.” Engage three different perspectives on how individuals and companies can turn entry level into lifelong learning.

Adam Flynn-Tabloff, Director of Policy, Research, and Evaluation, Office of Career and Technical Education, U.S. Department of Education

Tristan McDonald, President, Federal Aerospace Institute

Andrew Rachmell, Director, Educational Partnerships, Purdue Global

Moderator: Brett Levanto, Vice President of Operations, ARSA

Tuition Reduction for ARSA Members & Their Families

Participants in the 2026 Annual Conference heard about a key member benefit for lifelong learning: tuition discounts to association member contacts and their families (spouses, domestic partners, parents, siblings, and children).

The program offers more than 100 programs, including aviation, business, public safety, technology, legal studies, and health sciences. Individuals connected to an ARSA membership can receive tuition reductions in the amount of:

20% on undergraduate programs.*
14% on graduate programs.

Veterans can receive

38% on undergraduate programs.*.
14% on graduate programs.

Active-duty service members receive:

55% on undergraduate programs.*.
17% – 30% tuition reduction on graduate programs.

*Textbooks are included for undergraduate programs.

To learn more and start the enrollment process, visit arsa.org/purdue.

Maintenance Competitors Rise at Verticon

In March, ARSA Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto supported the Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition at VAI VERTICON. The “rotorcraft installment” of the event continues to grow. Nineteen teams competed across nine hands-on events over a day and a half.

The AMC has grown into a worldwide event since its founding by John Goglia, who was announced in October 2024 to be the first mechanic nominated to the Aviation Hall of Fame since Charlie Taylor and became ARSA’s 2026 Leo Weston Award winner at the 2026 Annual Conference. The event’s growth is dependent on the support of the aerospace community, which hosts and judges, provides prizes, and sponsors to offset the cost of bringing more than a thousand competitors together each year at two (soon to be three) difference major trade shows.

The competitors and coaches from Rising Aviation High School in Addison, Texas. The school team was the overall winner of VERTICON AMC 2026.

Top Overall

Rising Aviation High School

Category Winners

Military Category
First Place: United States Army – 128th Aviation Brigade – Team Blackhawk

Commercial Category
First Place: Horizon Air – Team 1

School Category
First Place: Rising Aviation High School

Professionalism Awards

The Competition also recognizes the teamwork and professionalism that define the aviation maintenance community.

AMC Peer Team Award (determined by team vote): Team #19 Putnam City Aviation Academy

AMC Professionalism Award (determined by judge vote)

Professional: Hayden Libhart – Team #8 United States Army – 128th Aviation Brigade – Team Blackhawk

Student: Garret Moore – Team #14 Rising Aviation High School

Scholarship

The Competition also celebrated the next generation of aviation maintenance professionals through the Phoebe Omlie Scholarship, awarded annually to support students pursuing careers in aviation maintenance.

Provided by AMC ($1,000): Jacqueline Venters – Idaho State University

For more event information, visit the AMC Website.

Surveying to Update Knowledge Test

FAA testing contractor PSI Services is conducting a survey of aviation maintenance professionals actively exercising mechanic certificate privileges. Results will support ongoing improvements to the agency’s knowledge test, particularly test mapping.

To access the survey, please use the following link: www.research.net/r/MaintenanceTechnicianSurvey.

The survey will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Individual responses will be kept confidential and aggregated with others to identify overall trends. Participants who complete the survey may opt into a random drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card.

NOTE: It closed officially on March 31, but ARSA encourages interested members to continue to try and submit responses and/or submit comments/questions directly to faa.contact@psionline.com.

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Membership

From the Symposium – What ARSA Has Done Lately

On March 19, ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod and Executive Vice President Christian Klein opened the Symposium portion of the Annual Conference with their regular review of ARSA’s work. The recording of their presentation is provided here for members along with MacLeod’s question to participants: How does ARSA measure up (click here if you dare to answer)?

8:00 a.m. | Welcome & Introductory Remarks

Find out how the association is advocating for you with legislators, regulators, and the media. See how you can help advance the industry’s collective interests.

Sarah MacLeod, Executive Director, ARSA

Christian Klein, Executive Vice President, ARSA

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2026 Market Report

Supply Chain Throttling Aerospace Maintenance Expansion

On March 18, ARSA released its 2026 Global Fleet and MRO Market Report prepared by Oliver Wyman Vector. Presentation of the report’s findings was a key part of the association’s annual Legislative Day, preparing maintenance industry representatives to amplify the needs of a $140 billion global industry before American legislators.

The report found an international aerospace market continuing to leave behind pandemic-era disruptions while facing new challenges. In addition to continuing threats posed by workforce shortages and the “juniority effect” of upscaled recruitment, maintenance organizations must navigate raw material shortages, uncertainty in global trade, and geopolitical volatility.

“The fragile supply chain was not the only disruptor last year,” the report found. “Weather and technology-related delays, labor unrest in several markets, the U.S. government shutdown, and shortages of air traffic controllers impacted schedules and costs. Another factor affecting [aerospace business] was a wave of retirements of skilled workers. As the last of the baby boom generation leaves the workforce, taking their expertise with them, the industry is struggling to attract and retain younger generations of well-trained workers.”

Despite these distractions, Oliver Wyman’s analysis found the aerospace maintenance community reaching new heights. More than 5,000 companies employ nearly 430,000 people, each representing an average of $325,663 in revenue for the overall market. In the United States, 192,000 employees produce a total of $78.2 billion for almost 4,000 firms; American technicians produce 57 percent more revenue per capita than their overseas counterparts.

Due to the maintenance requirements of older aircraft and the complexity of new technologies, particularly engines, Oliver Wyman projects maintenance revenue growth to outpace the global aircraft fleet.

“We saw this year…pessimism or acceptance of the reality of the supply chain,” Oliver Wyman’s Livia Hayes said during her presentation of the report on March 18. “For the past few years, the answer [to when the supply chain will recover from recent turbulence] has been within the next couple of years. We’ve asked that question longer than the answer and it hasn’t recovered.”

Discussing that supply chain turbulence, Hayes mentioned the 2024 report of the Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force, which ARSA supported. That analysis cited government action (or inaction) as one of four main risks to the health of global aerospace markets.

The complete Market Report is available upon request via arsa.org/about/contact-us to ARSA members. For more information about the report, visit arsa.org/news-media/economic-data.

2026 Global Fleet & MRO Market Forecast
prepared by Oliver Wyman Vector

Click the image to access the 2026 report’s Executive Summary. To access the full report, contact ARSA.

Executive Summary: 2026 Global Fleet & MRO Market Report

U.S. State-by-state Information Sheet on Maintenance Employment/ Revenue

For more information about the ARSA Annual Conference, which includes Legislative Day as part of a full week of advocacy, click here.

From Legislative Day – Report Release

Leaders from Oliver Wyman Vector presented report findings to Legislative Day participants on March 18, illustrating the current and projected states of the North American and global aircraft fleets and related impacts on maintenance demand. ARSA’s attendees then used this economic background to support later discussions with congressional offices. For members, this data illustrates the current state of the aerospace marketplace and provides insight for future business considerations. The briefing is provided in its entirety for the benefit of members.

11:00 a.m. | Global Fleet & MRO Market Report Release presented by Oliver Wyman

Livia Hayes, Director, Market Intelligence Team, Transportation and Services Practice, Oliver Wyman Vector

Paul Harper, Vice President, Oliver Wyman Vector

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Resources

ARSA strives to provide resources to educate the general public about the work of the association’s member organizations; should you need to provide a quick reference or introductory overview to the global MRO industry, please utilize AVMRO.ARSA.org.

Careers in Aviation Maintenance

How do you share the industry’s story with the people who could be its future? Teach them about the great work done every day to keep the world in flight. (Even if we can’t recruit somebody, we sure can make them thankful for our work.)

ARSA Member Benefits

From access to industry expertise to growing your own through education and training, ensure your company gets the most out of its investment in ARSA.

U.S. Legislative Action Center

ARSA requests its members’ assistance to keep FAA reauthorization front and center on the congressional agenda and ensure our workforce priorities are included. Please use ARSA’s grassroots action center to send a quick note to your elected representatives in support of our efforts.

Industry Meetings & Events

the hotline is the monthly publication of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), the not-for-profit international trade association for certificated repair stations. It is for the exclusive use of ARSA members and federal employees on the ARSA mailing list. For a membership application, please call 703.739.9543 or visit arsa.org/membership/join. For information about previous editions, submit a request through arsa.org/contact. This material is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, consulting, tax or any other type of professional advice. Law, regulations, guidance and government policies change frequently. While ARSA updates this material, we do not guarantee its accuracy. In addition, the application of this material to a particular situation is always dependent on the facts and circumstances involved. The use of this material is therefore at your own risk. All content in the hotline, except where indicated otherwise, is the property of ARSA. This content may not be reproduced, distributed or displayed, nor may derivatives or presentations be created from it in whole or in part, in any manner without the prior written consent of ARSA. ARSA grants its members a non-exclusive license to reproduce the content of the hotline. Employees of member organizations are the only parties authorized to receive a duplicate of the hotline. ARSA reserves all remaining rights and will use any means necessary to protect its intellectual property.

© 2026 Aeronautical Repair Station Association