Insights from the 2025 Aviation Summit

This year’s Aviation Summit brought together Australia’s leading minds in aviation to explore the challenges, innovations, and opportunities shaping the future of our skies. ISA’s Aviation Industry Engagement Manager, Mori Hajizadeh, proudly attended the event, reinforcing our commitment to workforce development and industry collaboration.

The summit provided a unique platform to hear directly from aviation experts about the sector’s evolving priorities from sustainability and sovereign capability to the critical need for a resilient, future-ready workforce.

Key themes from the summit included:

• Workforce Development - Panel discussions highlighted the urgent need to address talent shortages, particularly in roles such as Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) and Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAMEs).
• Strategic Planning for Skills - The Aviation 2025 Workforce Plan and the role of Jobs and Skills Councils were recognised as key enablers in building a national, coordinated approach to skills development.
• Engaging the Next Generation -Speakers shared powerful insights on the importance of early engagement with young people and the need for collaboration to inspire and retain the next generation of aviation professionals.
• Embracing Disruptive Technologies -Innovations such as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), vertiports, electric aircraft, and hydrogen fuels are reshaping the sector. Forward planning is essential to ensure the workforce is equipped with the right skills to support this transformation.
• Navigating Supply Chain Challenges -The summit also addressed growing concerns around supply chain disruptions, particularly the increasing difficulty in sourcing aircraft parts and engines.

ISA is committed to working with industry, unions, and governments to strengthen Australia’s aviation workforce and meet the sector’s evolving demands.

If you’d like to explore our workforce plans, you can view them here.