Aircraft operators in WA are struggling to fill key jobs, which could result in smaller businesses going under and remote parts of the state being cut off.
Aviair managing director Michael McConarchy said the shortage could spell disaster for smaller aviation operators relied on in many parts of Western Australia.
"The industry have been talking about this for the last 10 years as the 'looming crisis' and yet here we are and very little has been done to solve the problem."He said the state could turn the issue to its advantage. RAAA CEO Steven Campbell says he has been in talks with the federal government to fix the shortage of aircraft engineers.
“The pilot shortage headlines seem to get the big attraction ... they're forgetting the real problem that is out there, which is the engineer shortage," he said.Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association federal secretary Steve Purvinas said the industry was not training enough people and too many were retiring.