AI exposure Installation, maintenance and repair
Will AI replace aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. US occupation 49-3011.
The reading
0.0%
of the time aircraft mechanics and service technicians spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of aircraft mechanics and service technicians' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for aircraft mechanics and service techniciansWhat aircraft mechanics and service technicians no longer do alone
O*NET lists 38 tasks for aircraft mechanics and service technicians. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
38 of the 38 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.Core task
- Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.Core task
- Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.Core task
- Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.Core task
- Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.Core task
- Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.Core task
Show the other 32
- Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.Core task
- Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.Core task
- Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.Core task
- Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.Core task
- Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.Core task
- Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.Core task
- Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.Core task
- Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.Core task
- Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.Core task
- Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.Core task
- Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.Core task
- Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.Core task
- Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts, such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, or seals.Core task
- Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.Core task
- Measure the tension of control cables.Core task
- Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.Core task
- Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.Core task
- Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.Core task
- Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.Core task
- Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.Core task
- Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.Core task
- Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.Core task
- Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.Core task
- Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.Core task
- Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.Core task
- Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.Core task
- Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.
- Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.
- Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades or cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.
- Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.
- Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
- Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.
How that compares
Among the 50 installation, maintenance and repair occupations, aircraft mechanics and service technicians rank 8. The group averages 0.7%, and its most exposed job is Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers at 10.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Level with 0.0%
What this does and does not mean
Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.
A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.
Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.