The NBAA’s 2026 Maintenance Conference has highlighted the need to attract, retain and develop aviation maintenance specialists, with more than 1,000 registered attendees joining the New Orleans event.

Held under the theme “Big Easy, Bright Futures,” the conference took place as recent studies point to a need for hundreds of thousands of additional aviation maintenance specialists over the next decade.

The event drew attendees from 44 states and five countries, with first-time visitors accounting for 42% of the total. A packed exhibit hall featured more than 150 companies showcasing business aviation products, services, tools and technologies.

“The success of the 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference reinforces a critical industry imperative,” says Jo Damato, senior vice president events and professional engagement at NBAA. “We must redouble our commitment to attract, retain, develop and celebrate a skilled workforce ready to lead a future defined by rapid change on many fronts. This week’s conference underscored that future-focused mindset and fuelled a momentum that will carry into NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), with a particular onsite emphasis on maintenance education and engagement.”

Sessions covered the maintainer shortage, artificial intelligence, workforce development, safety management systems and aircraft integrity. FAA Safety Team programme managers Paul Gillenwater and Steve Steele also introduced maintenance managers to FAA online tools.

The week included networking sessions for young professionals and aviation maintenance students, while NBAA’s Maintenance Committee presented scholarships to 27 aspiring maintainers. More than $23,000 was raised through a Snap-on toolbox raffle and silent auction to support future maintenance scholarships.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen kicked off the conference by emphasising the role maintenance specialists play in business aviation safety. “In business aviation, we’re safety first and safety always,” Bolen said in his opening remarks. “There’s no group that cares more, and has a bigger impact on safety, than the technicians.”

Next year’s NBAA Maintenance Conference is set to occur from 4-6 May 2027 in Charlotte, North Carolina.