Tarrant County College aviation maintenance students will have a clearer path to American Airlines jobs under an agreement signed June 30.
TCC and American formalized the memorandum of understanding at the Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics near Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The facility is named for Hadley, who served TCC for almost five decades and became the college’s first woman and first African American chancellor from 2010 until her passing in 2015.
Under the agreement, TCC will identify and refer qualified aviation maintenance graduates to American Airlines for employment consideration. Students also will visit American facilities and learn real-world expectations in the field.
TCC is currently training more than 400 future aviation maintenance technicians at the center with 12 full-time and 15 adjunct instructors, according to a statement by the college.
Full-time students complete the program in two years, and evening students can finish in three. Students prepare for airframe and engine maintenance skills and must pass oral, written and practical tests to earn a Federal Aviation Administration certificate.
Tarrant County College’s Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics houses the school’s aircraft maintenance technician training program. (Doug Wilhelm for the Fort Worth Report)
TCC Northwest President Zarina Blankenbaker said the partnership builds on the college’s long record in aviation education.
“This agreement represents the next step, in that TCC will refer qualified graduates from our aviation maintenance program for employment consideration with American Airlines,” Blankenbaker said.
Zarina Blankenbaker, Tarrant County College Northwest Campus president, describes the tenets of the American Airlines partnership agreement. (Courtesy | Tarrant County College)
Jess Barrier, American Airlines managing director of maintenance operations control and training, said the need for aviation maintenance workers is growing.
By 2044, up to 700,000 additional aircraft maintenance technicians will be needed globally, including 120,000 in North America, according to Barrier, also a TCC advisory committee member informing the college on workforce needs and educational program relevance.
Jess Barrier, American Airlines managing director of maintenance control and training, talks about the high demand for aviation maintenance technicians in the coming years. (Courtesy | Tarrant County College)
“Students will have access to more than 1,400 aircraft maintenance technicians and leaders here locally that can provide guidance and support along the way,” he said.
American Airlines also benefits by gaining access to qualified students for the work, he said.
“Having access to TCC’s top talent provides the pipeline that American needs to build the airline for the future,” Barrier said.
According to Barrier, American hires maintenance technicians from several places, including directly from schools such as TCC, the military and current airline employees who want to progress their careers. Starting pay for an entry-level maintenance technician can approach six figures, he said.
Breanna Cross, American Airlines employee and TCC student, answers questions from maintenance instructor Tony Tipa during the June 30, 2026, signing ceremony. (Courtesy | Tarrant County College)
Breanna Cross has taken night classes in TCC’s aircraft maintenance technician certificate program for two years and expects to graduate in 2027.
A nine-year employee of American Airlines and its regional carrier Envoy Air, Cross works as a fleet service clerk, loading and unloading luggage, servicing aircraft and backing planes off gates for departure.
She wants to move into maintenance as the next step in her career.
“I spoke to a few mechanics that are already working there,” Cross said. “They’ve been in the industry for 10, 15, 20 years, and they love the job. I thought if they love it, that’s definitely good for me too.”
TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc told the Fort Worth Report the agreement formalizes a long-running relationship between the college and American Airlines.
Elva LeBlanc, Tarrant County College chancellor, discusses the strategic significance of the school’s partnership with American Airlines. (Courtesy | Tarrant County College)
“We’ve been partners with American Airlines since the beginning. We started the aviation program back in the late 1960s, and American Airlines, along with other airlines, have been part of our advisory committee,” LeBlanc said.
“So, with American Airlines, this is documenting and putting in motion what we’ve been doing.”
Stuart Riley, TCC maintenance instructor and composite coordinator, said students entering the program need a strong mechanical sense. They also need integrity and honesty because aircraft maintenance is safety-critical work, he said.
TCC maintenance instructor Tony Tipa said he expects the agreement to give students more access to American’s mechanics and potentially nonsalvageable aircraft parts that can be used as training aids.
“I think it’s going to open up more doors than we even realize,” Tipa said.
Doug Wilhelm is a member of the Fort Worth Report Documenters crew and a freelance writer.
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