LARA - Tackling the MRO Skills Shortage
In the December issue of LARA, Rachel Hugonnet, Director of Workforce & Training at Vallair and CEO of Aircraft Academy, shares the Vallair Group approach to tackling the MRO skills shortage.
Speaking to Rob Munro, Hugonnet highlights Aircraft Academy’s Structured On-Job Training (SOJT) model, which provides an exceptional pathway for trainees to enter the workforce with immediately applicable skills.
“The SOJT, delivered through Vallair’s EASA Part 145 MRO, provides Aircraft Academy trainees with exceptional exposure to real-world maintenance operations,” she explains. “Rather than completing their practical modules in a simulated environment, our students are fully immersed within Vallair’s live maintenance facilities, working alongside experienced engineers on commercial aircraft projects.”
The hands-on engagement seamlessly blends Part 147 theory with practical, Part 145-compliant expertise. Vallair’s dual-facility approach also ensures trainees gain a comprehensive understanding of maintenance requirements across different operational scales and aircraft types. The result is a graduate cohort that is workforce-ready, a testament to Vallair’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of aircraft technicians.
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of LARA.
Success for the Vallair team at MRO Europe 2025
From take-off to landing, the Vallair booth stayed buzzing throughout the most attended MRO Europe on record!
The team had a successful show connecting with partners and customers across the industry. Highlights included Group Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Pascal Parant’s interviews with Rob Munro of HMG Aerospace and Lindsay Bjerregaard of Aviation Week Network.
Thank you to everyone who visited our booth to discuss our expert MRO and asset management services.
Vallair Strengthens the Governance of its MRO Centres to Support Future Growth
Luxembourg/London, 13 October 2025: In line with market expectations and customer needs, Vallair announces a new governance structure across its maintenance centres. The reorganisation is designed to enhance management efficiency and sustain the Group’s long-term development ambitions.
- Grégoire Lebigot resumes his role as CEO of Vallair Industries, and now also as CEO of the Châteauroux MRO centre. He will be supported on site by François Fermaut, appointed Director of Operations. Formerly in charge of the aerostructure centre, Mr. Fermaut’s scope now extends to the engine business unit and the CHR2 airframe maintenance centre.
- Gilles Fossecave has been appointed CEO of the Montpellier MRO centre. He is supported on site by Jean-François Deorocki, Director of Operations.
This site-based management model will reinforce operational proximity and is entrusted to seasoned professionals who are widely respected within the aviation and MRO industry.
At Group level, Maxime Gorsse, currently Treasurer and CEO of Vallair Asset Solutions, has been promoted to CFO. This newly created position will consolidate accounting, finance, and investor relations, a practice proportional to the scale and ambition of Vallair.
These changes are part of Vallair’s broader strategy for an anticipatory stance on industry transitions, from the rise of composite-intensive aircraft to new technologies and evolving airline expectations.
“This new organisation is fully aligned with our strategy: staying close to our customers, strengthening the operational excellence of our MRO centres, and preparing for the future. Vallair is moving forward with the determination to anticipate the impactful transformations of the aviation industry and to respond with rigour, agility, and passion.” – Grégoire Lebigot, President of Vallair Group
Safety, quality, proximity, customer focus, and adaptability remain Vallair’s guiding principles.
To read the press release in French, click here.
Aircraft Academy Receives EASA Part 66 Approval for Aircraft Maintenance Training and Examinations
Le Bourget, Paris, France – 16th June 2025: Aircraft Academy, a Vallair Group company and a leading provider of aviation training solutions, is proud to announce that it has received formal approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to offer EASA Part 66 training and examinations. This prestigious certification enables Aircraft Academy, which is already a Part-147 training facility, to deliver comprehensive training and assessment services for aircraft maintenance engineers across multiple categories.
The EASA Part 66 certification is an internationally recognised standard that ensures the highest levels of competence and compliance for licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. With this approval, Aircraft Academy can now provide theoretical and practical training, as well as conduct approved examinations in accordance with EASA’s rigorous standards.
“We are delighted to announce that we have achieved this important milestone at the Paris Air Show 2025,” said Armel Jezequel, CEO of Aircraft Academy. “This approval not only validates the quality and integrity of our training programmes, but it also enables us to contribute directly to the development of highly skilled professionals within the global aviation maintenance community.”
“Under Part 66 our training will include categories such Category B1 (Mechanical), and Category B2 (Avionics), among others. The training programmes are designed to meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry and support both aspiring and current engineers in attaining their professional goals,” Jezequel adds. “We are experiencing huge demand from all over the world for aircraft mechanic training. Students from as far away as the Philippines and India are joining their European colleagues of all ages to attain qualifications or upskill to new aircraft/engine types.
“It makes sense to talk to Aircraft Academy because we can offer the full package – from initial training, to aircraft type modules, plus real EASA accredited Part 145 on-the job training. We are especially fortunate, being part of the Vallair Group, to be able provide practical training experience on-site at Vallair’s MRO hangars in Châteauroux and Montpellier in France – this is a huge benefit.”
Adding the Part 66 approval reflects Aircraft Academy’s ongoing commitment to quality, safety, and regulatory compliance in aviation education. As demand for qualified maintenance engineers continues to grow worldwide, this new capability underpins Aircraft Academy’s ambitions to build a reputation for excellence within the aviation training sector.
Visit Aircraft Academy at the Paris Air Show 2025: Hall 2b, G93
Aircraft Academy provides EASA Part-147 and Part 66 Maintenance Training Programmes (Theoretical & Practical) for aircraft technicians and engineers. With our EASA Part-147 Approved Training Centre, and EASA Part-145 Approved Maintenance Facilities at Vallair’s commercial MRO stations in Châteauroux and Montpellier in France. www.aircraft-academy.com
