AEA was established by Graham Swannell in Perth in 1978 in order fill the gap in airworthiness people authorised to approve the design of modifications and repairs in Western Australia. Originally starting with a few desks in a part-owned hangar at Jandakot Airport, the practice grew and moved to its current location at 1 Eagle Drive in 1990. In 1995, the company established its second office at Parafield Airport in Adelaide to widen its client base and better serve existing customers in the Adelaide region. In 2000, AEA joined with HSJ aviation and founded its third office at Sydney's Bankstown Airport. The company has since gone on to establish offices at Brisbane and Melbourne.