American Airlines donates APU to AIM Chicago for student training
American Airlines has donated an auxiliary power unit (APU) to the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) in Chicago, giving students hands-on access to real aircraft equipment as part of their technical training.
The equipment will help prepare the school’s more than 400 students – many of whom aim to become aviation maintenance technicians – to work on the same types of systems they will encounter in the field after graduation.
The donated APU previously operated on American Airlines’ McDonnell Douglas MD-80 fleet, completing more than 74,000 take-offs and landings during 29 years of service.
Mark Miner, American Airlines’ vice president of technical services, said: “This APU served American and our customers well over the years and we know it will serve students just as well for many more years to come.
“As Chicago’s leading global airline, it’s our honour and privilege to support local students on their journey to becoming tomorrow’s aviation maintenance professionals.”
American Airlines and AIM Chicago’s partnership began in 2022, paving the way for graduates to find rewarding and successful aviation maintenance careers in American Airlines’ hangars.
American Airlines also donated a Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine to the school in 2023 and supported AIM students at annual Aerospace Maintenance Council Competitions.
Several American Airlines frontline team members also attend AIM Chicago, pursuing their FAA Airframe and Powerplant license.
Jason Pfaff, chief executive of Cotulla, the parent company of the AIM, said: “Partnerships like this are what make the student experience real. When our students can train on the same equipment used in the field, it builds confidence, deepens learning and shortens the distance between the classroom and a career.
“We’re incredibly grateful to American Airlines for their continued investment in our students and in the future of the aviation workforce here in Chicago.”
The airline also hired more than 100 aviation maintenance technicians for its ORD Line Maintenance organisation in recent months, part of more than 10,000 Chicagoland jobs.
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