Connecting with Aviation Leaders at MRO Europe 2025

VHR proudly exhibited at MRO Europe 2025 in London, one of the aviation industry’s largest maintenance, repair and overhaul events.  

The exhibition was a key opportunity for VHR to strengthen relationships with current clients and meet new businesses from across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Across three days, our Aerospace & Aviation team had conversations with OEMs, airlines, MROs, and repair shops, sharing insights on how VHR is helping aviation businesses bridge the talent gap with compliant, international recruitment solutions. 

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Key Stats from MRO Europe 2025

According to Aviation Week, this year’s MRO Europe event drew: 

  • 11,331+ unique attendees 

  • 20% attendee increase on 2024 

  • 1,200 airline/ lessor buyers 

  • 630 exhibitors 

  • 90 countries represented 

 

The record-breaking attendance highlights the global interest in strengthening MRO capabilities and addressing future aviation challenges. 

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Strengthening Partnerships and Discovering New Opportunities

MRO Europe allowed us to catch up with long-standing clients and partners from across our network. Neil Day, Divisional Director – Project Services at VHR, commented: 

“Events like MRO Europe are vital for us, not only to stay ahead of market developments but to hear directly from our clients what they need most right now, what their challenges are and the industries. There’s a real focus on cost optimisation, improved turnaround times, and keeping aircraft operational during a challenging period for the industry.” It is refreshing to see that businesses are now looking to invest in training, and support the new generation of talent which is a long time coming’’ 

We also met a number of new businesses in need of short-term and long-term technical support, and were able to demonstrate how VHR’s global reach and talent portal can rapidly respond to urgent aircraft maintenance needs. 

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Insights into the North American MRO Market

While MRO Europe focused primarily on the European recovery, the North American MRO market is experiencing its own set of challenges, many of which centre around workforce shortages, regulatory complexity, and an urgent need for technological modernisation. 

Across the US and Canada, MROs are facing: 

  • Severe shortages of certified A&P mechanics, AME’s and DER engineers. Many roles remain open for 90+ days, and organisations are increasingly reliant on overtime and short-term contractors, which is impacting quality and turnaround times. 

  • High attrition rates and wage competition, particularly from major carriers and MROs. This is draining mid-career talent from smaller facilities, who are struggling to compete on salary and career progression. 

  • Limited talent pipelines from trade schools and training providers. Regional aviation schools continue to close, with reduced state and federal funding for vocational aviation programmes. 

 

Jerome Gray, Growth Marketing Specialist at VHR, commented on the growing complexity: 

“The North American MRO industry is at a crossroads. While demand for aircraft maintenance is rising, especially with older fleets staying in service longer, regulatory and staffing pressures are mounting. From our conversations, we can see that companies are navigating delays in FAA approvals, skill mismatches with emerging technologies, and significant difficulties in hiring both locally and internationally. At VHR, we’re building partnerships to address these head-on, by aligning global talent with local needs, faster and more compliantly than ever before.” 

With VHR’s established presence in North America, we continue to provide skilled, mobile, and certified technical personnel to MROs, OEMs, and repair stations across the region, ensuring compliance with FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada standards. 

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Challenges Facing the MRO Sector in 2025

From our conversations at MRO Europe 2025, three critical challenges stood out,  particularly for MROs in North America managing growing pressure on operations and margins. 

Talent Competition with OEMs and Major Airlines 
The battle for licensed A&P mechanics and avionics technicians remains intense. MROs are frequently losing candidates to larger OEMs and airline maintenance divisions offering higher wages, benefits and career pathways. As a result, roles are often unfilled for over 120 days, slowing recruitment and stretching existing teams. 

Staffing Delays Impacting Turnaround Times 
Short-staffed hangars are leading to longer turnaround times, bottlenecks, and reliance on costly overtime. When last-minute projects like freighter conversions or delayed fleet retirements are added to the schedule, many MROs simply don’t have the capacity to deliver on time. 

Ryan Stewart, Business Development Manager at VHR, added: 

“We spoke with several MROs and OEMs who are looking for strategic fixed price solutions. The challenge isn't just finding people, it's finding the right talent with approvals, international mobility, and the desire to stay in aviation.” 

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The Role of Talent in MRO Success

MRO Europe 2025 highlighted the industry's shared focus on overcoming workforce shortages, embracing digitalisation, and sustaining operational excellence. 

To meet growing demand, MROs need fast, flexible access to certified talent. VHR supports this by delivering EASA, FAA, and GCAA-approved professionals across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. 

With 8 global offices and multilingual aviation specialists, we help airlines, OEMs, and MROs scale quickly, compliantly, and ethically — ensuring the right people are in place when it matters most. 

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