Aerospace giant Boeing Co. (BA) Wednesday forecast continued strong growth in demand for commercial aviation pilots and maintenance technicians as the global fleet expands over the next 20 years.
Boeing's 2014 Pilot and Technician Outlook, released today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, projects that between 2014 and 2033, the world's aviation system will require 533,000 new commercial airline pilots and 584,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians.
Overall, the global demand is driven by steadily increasing airplane deliveries, particularly wide-body airplanes. This represents a global requirement for about 27,000 new pilots and 29,000 new technicians annually.
The 2014 outlook projects continued increases in pilot demand, which is up around 7 percent compared to 2013; and in maintenance training, an increase of just over 5 percent.
Pilot demand in the Asia Pacific region now comprises 41 percent of the world's need. The Middle East region saw significant growth since last year's outlook due to higher airline capacity and orders for wide-body models which require more crew members.
Sherry Carbary, vice president, Boeing Flight Services, said, "The challenge of meeting the global demand for airline professionals cannot be solved by one company or in one region of the world. This is a global issue that can only be solved by all of the parties involved—airlines, aircraft and training equipment manufacturers, training delivery organizations, regulatory agencies and educational institutions around the world."
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