Piet Visser new president of NVLT

The Board of the Dutch Association of Aviation Technicians (NVLT) has appointed Mr Piet Visser as the new president of the NVLT. As of April 1, 2024, he will succeed current president Robert Swankhuizen.

Piet Visser is an aviation technician through and through. After completing his training at the Anthony Fokker School in The Hague, he started as a mechanic in 1997 at the Technical Department of Martinair Holland. At the time, maintaining a fleet of Boeing 747, MD-11, and Fokker 70, among others. In 2003 he moved on to the position of Ground Engineer, adding the engine run-up qualification as the Fokker 100 joined the fleet. In 2015, he accompanied the transition of the Martinair TD to the Regional Jet Center, the 100% KLM subsidiary, tasked with the maintenance of the KLM Cityhopper fleet. During this transition, the NVLT joined the acknowledged unions at RJC with Piet as NVLT board member. On behalf of the NVLT, Piet has also been a consultation partner of the Aviation Occurrence Analysis Bureau for some time now.

He sees the most important challenge for the NVLT in further professionalizing the aviation technician profession in times of increasing shortages.

“I view this challenge with the necessary concern,” says incoming president Visser, “the NVLT will have to focus primarily on protecting its members against excessive workload.”

Robert Swankhuizen will be said goodbye to at a later date. In 2004 he became a NVLT board member and has held the position of president since 2017. Under his leadership, the NVLT grew into the largest categorical union exclusively for aviation technicians, with more than 800 members.

Robert was also the driving force behind expanding the NVLT network through collaborations with the French trade union UNSA Aérien SNMSAC, the global Aircraft Engineers International (AEI) and with the EASA regarding aviation legislation. The NVLT also joined the Trade Union Federation for Professionals (VCP), the National Cabin Air Advisory Group of the RIVM and the consultation with the Aviation Occurrence Analysis Bureau of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (IL en T).

Robert Swankhuizen: “I am proud that I was able to contribute to putting on the map the profession of aviation technicians and their responsibility for the maintenance and release to service of aircraft for safe flight.”

With Piet Visser as president, the NVLT board looks forward to the challenging future of aviation engineers with confidence.

For more information, please contact:
Rob Swankhuizen: mobile phone or email
Piet Visser: mobile phone or email