Celebrating Aviation Maintenance Technician Day: Honoring the unsung heroes of Alaska Airlines
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Today, we take a moment to celebrate a group of dedicated professionals whose expertise and commitment ensure the safety, reliability and excellence of our fleet. On Aviation Maintenance Technician Day (or AMT Day), we honor the incredible work of maintenance technicians at Alaska and Horizon Air—our unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep us flying high.
Running a safe operation
Our maintenance technicians are essential to every flight, every day. Whether they are performing pre-flight inspections, troubleshooting technical issues, or carrying out regular heavy maintenance checks, their work allows us to fly safe and continue delivering exceptional service to our guests.
In addition to ensuring every aircraft is fit to fly each day, we remain extremely grateful to our skilled Maintenance and Engineering team that shouldered the inspection work of our 737-9 MAX aircraft earlier this year and safely returned the planes to service.
This year, we recognized the careers of some Maintenance and Engineering employees, naming them “Alaska Legends” and “Horizon Pathfinders,” our top honors for those with storied careers of always looking up, pushing higher, putting others first, and representing the very best of us.
Randy Ahrens
Line Aircraft Technician, ANC
Alaska Airlines Legend ’24
“I feel honored, there’s some super good mechanics here. It’s interesting work, you learn something new every day, it’s never boring,“ said Ahrens. “I enjoy the challenge, it’s a lot of satisfaction when it actually works, and it’s all done correctly.”
“Randy’s always positive, no matter what the job is, it doesn’t matter if it’s 40 degrees below up in Purdue Bay or working inside the hangar, he’s always happy and willing to work. We appreciate his skill and caring-ness,” said David Boyce, manager line Maintenance.
Mark Williams
Director Material Ops Support
Alaska Airlines Legend ’24
“I take a great deal of pride in how we do our job and how we make sure we’re helping out the airline,” said Williams.
“Mark makes an impact every day,” says Alex Gorinsky, managing director of M&S ACSC Material Management. “Early before most people are even up, he is digging into problems and finds solutions. He has an uncanny ability to remember everything that he has worked on in the past several years—he remembers part numbers, unique situations, problems that he’s solved, solutions that he’s come up with and he guides his team through these things and is always there for them.”
Nejib (Ben) Oueslati
Lead Technician, SEA
Horizon Air Pathfinder ’23
“I work with a small group of mechanics in Seattle,” said Oueslati. “We have a good team here. We are like a family. Everybody steps up to help each other with one thing in mind: Return the airplane to service and get the job as safe as we can.”
“Ben is an outstanding technician,” said Dale Sanderson, maintenance supervisor. “Ben is always willing to go the extra mile, do anything that needs to be done.”
Tim Weigand
Sr. Service Engineer, PDX
Horizon Air Pathfinder ’23
“We have to make the right decisions—what really gets me fired up is finding challenges and finding those things where it could be something big but getting it fixed fast,” said Weigand.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I have a lot of respect for those guys who’ve also helped and mentored me and I just want to keep that moving and going on,” said Weigand.
Unmatched skill and innovation
When you take a maintenance technician job at Alaska or Horizon Air, you are joining a legacy of mechanic excellence. For 22 consecutive years, Alaska Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Division have received the Diamond Certificate of Excellence from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an award that recognizes an organization’s commitment to aviation maintenance training and safety. This prestigious certificate is part of the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Awards Program, which encourages aviation maintenance technicians and their employers to participate in ongoing training and professional development.
Horizon Air’s Maintenance and Engineering Division were also awarded their 20th Diamond Certificate of Excellence from the FAA in recognition of its training efforts in 2020 and achieved a 100% participation rate by its aircraft maintenance technicians in the AAMT awards program.
The Maintenance and Engineering Division with Alaska Airlines utilizes that latest aircraft maintenance technology, giving each mechanic convenient access to the information that keeps us flying safely. Our Maintenance and Engineering Division has been recognized for:
- On-time performance
- Customer satisfaction
- Fuel efficiency and green initiatives
- Our maintenance training programs
- Our focus on veteran and military employment, proudly supporting veterans from all branches, including the U.S. Air Force and the Marine Corps
- One of Forbes Top 100 Employers
The path to becoming an aviation maintenance technician is one of rigorous training, continuous learning, and unyielding commitment. Our technicians undergo extensive education and certification processes, ensuring they are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills. Their dedication to staying updated with advancements in aviation technology demonstrates their commitment to excellence.
Click to enlarge our Line Maintenance Stations (above)
Become an Aircraft Technician with our Training Programs
If you’re looking to launch into an aircraft technician job, our Maintenance Programs can get you started. Our portfolio of career programs will help your aviation maintenance career rise to the next level. Aspiring aircraft technicians who enroll in the Horizon Maintenance Technician Development Program will receive a stipend, mentorship and more!