Gateway to Blue Skies 2026 Competition
Design new ways to improve aircraft maintenance, and make aviation safer, more efficient, or more affordable.
Apply if your team is from any accredited U.S.-based post-secondary institution and if you want to design new ways to improve aircraft maintenance. Your idea should be an innovative way to make aviation safer, more efficient, or more affordable and might involve emerging technologies like predictive maintenance, advanced data analytics, automated inspections, or new approaches to managing aircraft systems and parts.
| Key information | |
|---|---|
| Sponsoring agency | National Institute of Aerospace |
| Start date | |
| End date | 2/16/2026 11:59 ET |
| Challenge type | Non-monetary prizes: Up to six internships to students of the winning team. |
| Prizes | |
| Contact | BlueSkies@nianet.org |
For detailed information, including eligibility requirements, rules, and judging criteria, see RepAir: Advancing Aircraft Maintenance.
LAST UPDATED: February 5, 2026
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