Boeing released a new forecast predicting the demand for 2.4 million new aviation professionals over the next two decades, as the global airplane fleet continues to expand.
According to the company’s 2024 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO), which was published on July 22, 2024, the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, global airlines will need 674,000 new pilots, 716,000 new maintenance technicians and 980,000 new cabin crew members to fly and maintain the global commercial fleet over the next 20 years.
“Driven by aviation traffic trending above pre-pandemic levels, personnel attrition and commercial fleet growth, the demand for aviation personnel continues to rise,” said Chris Broom, vice president, Commercial Training Solutions, Boeing Global Services in a press release.
It is estimated that more than half of these global aviation personnel will be required in Eurasia, China and North America. Over the next 20 years, the demand for aviation staff is predicted to triple in South Asa, South-East Asia and Africa, as these regions are experiencing the fastest growth.
Predictions indicate that most new aviation crews will operate single aisle aircraft. Meanwhile, wide-body aircraft will be the primary choice for flying operations in Africa and the Middle East.
Two thirds of the new employees will be required to fill in for those who are leaving the aviation sector and the remaining third will be allocated for fleet growth.
Boeing also released its 2024 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), in which the company projected a 3% rise in aircraft deliveries over the next 20 years, with carriers requiring nearly 44,000 new commercial airplanes by 2043. The company forecasts that, within 20 years, the global air cargo fleet will have increased by two thirds to support 4.1% annual air cargo traffic growth.
