The airport has become a hotbed of issues in the spotlight—a shortage of air traffic controllers , long TSA lines exacerbated by the government shutdown, and packed terminals highlighting the nation’s strained aviation system.

But there’s another critical group keeping planes moving on time —and they’re facing a dire shortage: aviation maintenance technicians.

Some 83% of technicians are expected to retire or leave the profession globally over the next decade, according to the CAE Aviation Talent Forecast . By 2034, that translates to a need of about 416,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians worldwide.

Jason Pfaff, CEO of the Aviation Institute of Maintenance , told Fortune the occupation has largely suffered from a lack of awareness and has become largely “hidden.”

“The

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