Boeing has forecasted that over the next 20 years, 649,000 pilots will be needed, especially with global aircraft fleets expecting to double in that time.
This is all part of the manufacturer’s Pilot & Technician Outlook, which features the following breakdown:
- 649,000 pilots
- 690,000 maintenance technicians
- 938,000 cabin crew members.
| Region | New Pilots | New Technicians | New Cabin Crew |
| Global | 649,000 | 690,000 | 938,000 |
| Africa | 21,000 | 22,000 | 26,000 |
| China | 134,000 | 138,000 | 161,000 |
| Eurasia | 143,000 | 156,000 | 235,000 |
| Latin America | 38,000 | 41,000 | 49,000 |
| Middle East | 58,000 | 58,000 | 99,000 |
| North America | 127,000 | 125,000 | 177,000 |
| Northeast Asia | 23,000 | 28,000 | 39,000 |
| Oceania | 10,000 | 11,000 | 18,000 |
| South Asia | 37,000 | 38,000 | 45,000 |
| Southeast Asia | 58,000 | 73,000 | 89,000 |
Boeing: More Staff Needed in a Recovery-Based Industry…
Commenting on the Pilot & Technician Outlook was Chris Broom, Boeing‘s VP of Commercial Training Solutions in the Global Services branch:
“With domestic air travel fully recovered and international traffic near pre-pandemic levels, demand for aviation personnel continues to increase”.
“Our competency-based training and assessment offerings will help ensure high-quality training for future and current aviation professionals and continue enhancing aviation safety through immersive and virtual training solutions.”
The key highlights from the report state the following also:
- China, Eurasia, and North America drive demand for more than half of new industry personnel, with requirements in China surpassing North America.
- The fastest-growing regions for personnel are Africa, Southeast Asia, and South Asia, with their regional demand expected to double nearly.
- After omitting demand for Russia in last year’s PTO due to uncertainty in the region, this year’s forecast includes Russia in the Eurasia region, and it comprises 3% of the global demand for personnel.
What remains clear is that in the midst of a pilot and industry shortage, more will be needed to be done in order to meet the demands of new aircraft being delivered every day, every month, and every year.
