UT-Chetumal Prepares Aeronautics Degree to Meet Labor Demand

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The Technological University of Chetumal (UT-Chetumal) is preparing to add an aeronautics degree to supply workers for the aircraft maintenance operations that Zenith Aeronáutica will need at its new base in the city.

Rector Alfredo Marín Marín said the State Commission for Higher Education Planning (COEPES) authorized the program a couple of weeks ago, covering both a higher-level technical degree (Técnico Superior Universitario, or TSU) and a full aeronautics engineering track. The university now needs federal approval before it can enroll students.

Federal approval still pending

Once federal authorization and the corresponding certification are in place, UT-Chetumal can activate the curriculum officials have already drafted. The first cohort would begin classes in either January or September 2027, depending on how quickly those approvals come through.

Zenith Aeronáutica driving demand

Marín said the program was prompted by Zenith Aeronáutica’s arrival at the Chetumal development hub near the airport, where the company will need maintenance, repair and overhaul personnel.

“The initiative came about because Zenith Aeronáutica has already set up at the development hub — it is already at the airport — and they will need labor, human resources, in the area of maintaining fixed-wing aircraft, engines and electronic instruments,” Marín said. “Everything related to maintenance, everything known as MRO, will be in Chetumal.”

He said the company will require staff across several aeronautical maintenance specialties, including fixed-wing aircraft, engine and electronic instrument work.

Broader opportunities for young people

Marín said the new investment in Chetumal also poses a challenge for educational institutions, making it necessary to align university training with the job market. The aeronautics program, he said, will widen career options for young people in southern Quintana Roo, where demand for these skills is strongest and could later extend beyond the state.

The plan now hinges on the federal authorization and certification processes, which would allow the university to launch the program in 2027.