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.
The estimate should prompt carriers and regulatory agencies, like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, to focus on cultivating the next generation of aviation talent across all categories, the company said.
“With commercial and business aviation fleets expected to see double digit increases over the next 10 years, the industry must take action to attract, train, and retain personnel,” said Marie-Christine Cloutier, vice president for strategy, performance, air traffic services, and marketing at CAE. “Highly skilled aviation professionals are not just a necessity for the safety of the air transport system, they are the foundation for the successful expansion and resilience of the global aviation sector. To meet the demand, the industry needs to be proactive and creative.”
By The Numbers
CAE’s report found the commercial aviation industry will need 267,000 new pilots, 347,000 new aviation maintenance technicians, and 678,000 new cabin crew over the next nine years. Another 33,000 pilots and 69,000 technicians are needed when factoring in business aviation.
About 71,000 new air traffic controllers will be needed in that same timeframe.
Demand for talent varies by region, though in general, North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific will require the most new hires. The Asia/Pacific market leads the way in demand for new pilots, with estimates at 101,000. Europe will require the most new air traffic controllers, at 27,000, while North America will need the most new technicians, at 132,000.
CAE estimates there are about 1.47 million aviation professionals worldwide as of 2025. If new workers can be hired and trained in adequate numbers to replace retiring personnel and accommodate new growth, that figure would shoot up to 2.1 million by the mid-2030s.
CAE said employers will have to prioritize training candidates, pointing to the 30% dropout rate among air traffic controllers in the U.S.
“We need a comprehensive training environment that caters to the way new generations learn and thrive,” Cloutier said.
