At the MRO Americas event in Chicago last week, Maria Deacon, senior vice president of technical operations at United Airlines took to the stage for a ‘hometown airline address’ in which she reflected on United’s rich history and shared the airline’s commitment to workforce development.

“Our airline recently celebrated turning 98 years old, and although we might be showing a few wrinkles here are there, we’re like a fine wine and we have the best years yet to come,” Deacon shared.

“United has remained a trailblazer, helping to shape the aviation industry. In recent years we’ve taken a leadership approach to reducing our carbon footprint, and we’re making great progress in supporting sustainable aviation, fuel and electrification of ground equipment.”

Founded in April 1926, United Airlines has a rich history, but Deacon was keen to share with delegates what’s important to the airline and its technical operations team going forward.

“In the present day, we must focus on our culture. We are dedicated to share our purpose – safety first, service always, while connecting people and uniting the world.”

After three decades with GE, Deacon joined United Airlines in January 2023 overseeing the airline’s maintenance operations, ground service equipment and facilities maintenance, supply chain, technical services and planning and strategy.

The main United Technical Operations MRO centre, located in San Francisco, is a 2.9 million sqft facility that is home to more than 3,500 technicians, management, and support personnel. The facility includes an engine overhaul shop, narrowbody and widebody airframe docks, component shops and more.

“I’ve witnessed first-hand United’s commitment to learn from its people and fellow aviation partners,” she said. “Our purpose isn’t just a motto, it’s ingrained in our operations.”

With close to 100 years of experience serving the aircraft industry, United’s heavy check operations have grown to include a group of 15,000 professionals – AMTs and engineering support employees stations at over 30 locations throughout the world with major hubs in Chicago, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark-New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C., with other major maintenance locations in Cleveland and Orlando.

“On average, we dispatch 5,600 flights with nearly half a million passengers every single day. That’s a lot of moving pieces,” Deacon explained. “We’re continually training and improving our workforce – our strongest asset – and this is one of my top priorities.”

Deacon shared that United recognises the importance of investing in its people and facilities. “Last summer in Houston, we established a $20 million centralised training centre. This provides us with three things: Standardised instruction across our entire network; an ability to teach advanced troubleshooting; and offering simulated scenarios in a hands-on environment. But we’re not just investing in our people; we’re investing in technology and processes.”

Deacon concluded her time on stage by explaining that success in the aviation industry relies on working together. “We have to collaborate. We do our best work when we anticipate and prepare. Being proactive is fundamentally key. I know we can learn from the industry’s history and from one another. The entire United Technical Operations team is immensely proud to be part of the aviation family and I feel privileged to be part of that with this remarkable team.”

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