Although the Air France-KLM Group is widely recognised for its passenger transport operations, it is also a heavyweight in both cargo services and aircraft maintenance. The Group’s maintenance division employs 13,500 specialists, including 7,200 based in France, who care not only for the Air France and KLM fleets but also for more than 3,000 aircraft belonging to over 200 client airlines around the world. With 20 maintenance centres and eight logistics hubs spread across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, Air France-KLM Engineering & Maintenance has established itself as one of the industry’s leading global providers.
Following the post-COVID rebound, aircraft maintenance activity has intensified sharply, generating significant recruitment requirements. Since 2022, the division has hired nearly 500 new permanent employees per year in France alone. Looking ahead, the Group expects to recruit more than 1,000 additional staff by the end of 2027. Many of these roles will be based at Paris-Orly, the site of a state-of-the-art workshop inaugurated in 2023. This facility specialises in the latest generation of aircraft engines, which offer lower fuel consumption and cut noise levels by up to 50%.
Representing an investment of nearly €30 million, and supported by both the French State and the Île-de-France Region, the new workshop reflects the Group’s dual ambition: reducing its environmental impact while strengthening employment in the southern Paris region.
Each year, Air France-KLM Engineering & Maintenance offers around 350 apprenticeship contracts and 300 internships. These programmes provide young people with access to high-value technical skills across key areas such as airframe maintenance, engine servicing, electronic and mechanical equipment support, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, aero structures and logistics. As global aviation recovers and fleets modernise, the Group’s investment in talent aims to secure long-term expertise for one of the world’s busiest maintenance networks.
