Aims Community College Achieves Part 147 Certification and Launches New Hiring Pathway
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially given Part 147 certification to Aims Community College, alongside the school’s launch of a new hiring pathway.
Frontier Airlines partners with Aims for the hiring pathway agreement, finalized December 16, which offers a signing bonus of $25,000 for graduates who qualify.
What is the Frontier Airlines Pathway?
As part of the hiring pathway, Frontier Airlines will provide opportunities to apply for employment with the company as AMTs after graduating and receiving FAA certification.
Students hired will also receive a $25,000 signing bonus upon meeting the following conditions:
- Meeting Frontier’s employment requirements
- Completing drug and alcohol screening and background check
- Committing to employment for a minimum of three years
If a technician ends their employment before three years, the bonus will be prorated.
“For an in-state student who invests roughly $42,000 in this program, that $25,000 bonus can pay back more than half of what they invested in their education,” said Chief of Aircraft Maintenance at Aims Michael Sasso.
He added, “It’s a powerful way to launch a career while graduating with little to no accumulated debt at the same time.”
As part of Aims Community College’s Aircraft Maintenance Program advisory board, Frontier Airlines also provides support by:
- Contributing to curriculum development
- Ensuring that training aligns with real-world applications
- Providing tools and materials in the future
Why is FAA certification important for Aims?
Upon finalizing the FAA Part 147 aviation maintenance technician school (AMTS) certification on December 12, Aims can now train students for their Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license.
“The FAA certification is the official stamp that we are a program that can produce certificated aviation maintenance technicians,” Sasso said.
He continued, “Students are choosing a school that is directly aligned with the FAA and delivering the exact training they’ll be tested on for their A&P license, as well as prepare them to go to work immediately afterwards in this fast-paced and highly technical industry.”
How is Aims helping mitigate the AMT shortage?
Aims Community College is also launching a new Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) program in January 2026.
This program aims to respond to the ongoing aircraft mechanic shortage, which currently poses a worldwide gap of 700,000 AMTs across the next 30 years, according to FAA and industry data.
“The need right now is north of 700,000 technicians over the next three decades,” Sasso said, “At full maturity, we expect to have 275 to 300 students in the program at any given time and to graduate roughly 100 to 150 technicians each year into the aviation and aerospace workforce.”
“Starting salaries for aircraft maintenance technicians are currently averaging $70,000,” Sasso noted, “With many technicians earning well into six figures within five to seven years on the job.”
He continued, “This is a long-term, stable career path with serious earning potential,” he said. “Technicians can work in major airline hubs, regional airports or in aerospace companies across the country and around the world.”