In the next instalment of our ‘Meet the Mechanics’ interview series – created to shine a light on the hands-on professionals who keep aircraft in top condition – we feature Julene Lee Hui Pheng, a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME) at Asia Digital Engineering (ADE) who shares the challenges, responsibilities and rewards of a 30-year career spent keeping aircraft safely in the skies.
How did you get into aviation maintenance, and what inspired your career path?
Choosing to become a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME) stems from a deep fascination with how heavy machinery safely takes to the skies, combined with a desire for hands-on technical work rather than sitting at a desk. That curiosity is what drew me to this career path.
My journey into aviation started in secondary school at SMK Convent Klang, Selangor, when the national airline visited my school to promote its trainee aircraft maintenance engineer (TAME) programme.
But even before that, in primary school, my best friend wanted to become an air stewardess. Her ambition exposed me to the world of aviation.
So, I applied for the TAME programme after finishing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (equivalent to O-level).
I was trained for four and a half years before serving a five-year bond.
Getting a license required clearing a gauntlet of rigorous regulatory modular exams from Civil Aviation Authorities Malaysia (CAAM) while simultaneously logging thousands of hours of On-the-Job Training (OJT) to secure a basic license and eventually earn specific aircraft type ratings.
In 2006, I joined AirAsia’s engineering department, now known as Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), where I became AirAsia’s first female LAME. It was a significant milestone, not only in my own career but also in demonstrating that women could take on highly technical roles in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
Can you walk us through a typical day or shift in your role?
No two shifts are identical. Every shift begins with a meticulous briefing. We review the deferred maintenance logs, incoming aircraft statuses, and assign tasks based on priority.
We conduct rigorous visual inspections, checking, monitoring and run systemic diagnostics.
When a pilot reports an in-flight irregularity, we dive into the manuals, trace schematic diagrams, and isolate the malfunctioning component.
The shift always ends with the most critical part of the job: documentation.
Every tool must be accounted for, every step logged, and only then do we sign the Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) - declaring the aircraft officially safe to fly.
What is one particularly memorable challenge you’ve faced on the job – and how did you resolve it?
One of the most testing challenges I’ve faced involved an intermittent, recurring flight control alert that pilots reported over several flights.
My colleague and I performed a painstaking, pin-by-pin electrical continuity on wiring and relays especially after already changing major components.
We eventually isolated the issue to one relay. Replacing that single relay permanently fixed the issue. It taught me that in this job, a meticulous eye for detail beats guesswork every time.
How do you and your team approach safety and reliability in your work?
Safety is not a guideline; it is a legal and moral absolute.
In aviation, there is zero room for improvisation. If the approved maintenance manual says to turn a valve counter-clockwise to depressurise a line, you follow it exactly.
If a step requires a specific calibrated torque wrench, you do not use a standard one.
For critical flight control or engine disturbances, an independent second engineer must always inspect and duplicate the test to verify the work was done correctly.
As a LAME, safety and reliability are not just metrics we track - they are the core of our professional identity and the final authority on whether an aircraft leaves the ground.
We achieve this through an unyielding commitment to regulatory compliance, standardised procedures, continuous data monitoring, and a transparent team culture.
What changes or innovations do you see shaping the future of aircraft maintenance?
The hangar of tomorrow is evolving rapidly, driven by digital transformation and AI.
Instead of fixing parts when they break, advanced aircraft and software constantly stream real-time health data to the ground.
AI algorithms analyse this data to predict precisely when a component will fail, allowing us to swap it out before it causes a flight delay.
At ADE, ELEVADE™, our all-in-one digital platform, supports this transformation by enabling smarter, more integrated and efficient maintenance operations.
What do you enjoy most about the job – and what keeps you motivated day to day?
After 30 years in aviation, my motivation as a LAME transitions from the initial excitement of working on big jets to the deep personal satisfaction of absolute accountability, passing down expertise, and witnessing the enduring magic of flight.
What I enjoy most is the instant satisfaction of solving a high-stakes puzzle.
There is a unique adrenaline rush when an aircraft arrives on the ground with a complex defect, and through our team's collective expertise, we fix it, sign the logbook, and watch that machine safely take off into the sky.
