Report: 1.5M New Aviation Professionals Needed by 2034

Hundreds of thousands of pilots, technicians, and cabin crew will be needed to replace retiring workers.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Pilots in an aircraft flight deck. [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

CAE forecasts a global need for approximately 1.5 million new aviation professionals, including pilots, technicians, and cabin crew, over the next nine years.
This demand is driven by rising air travel and a wave of retirements, requiring airlines and regulatory bodies to prioritize proactive recruitment, effective training, and talent retention.
Key roles in demand include 267,000 new commercial pilots, 347,000 maintenance technicians, and 678,000 cabin crew, with a need for comprehensive training environments to address high dropout rates.

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A new report suggests that about 1.5 million new aviation professionals will be needed worldwide by 2034, likely increasing pressure on airlines and regulatory bodies to recruit and effectively train workers.

CAE, a Canadian technology company specializing in flight simulators and pilot training services, projects 1,465,000 pilots, technicians, air crew, air traffic controllers, and others will be needed over the next nine years to meet rising demand for air travel and replace the hundreds of thousands of aviation professionals set to retire or leave the industry.