SEATTLE, 29 Aug. 2012. The Asia Pacific region will need hundreds of thousands of new commercial airline pilots and commercial aircraft maintenance technicians over the next two decades to support airline fleet modernization and the rapid growth of air travel in the Western Pacific, predict officials of the Boeing Co. Commercial Airplanes segment in Seattle.
The 2012 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook industry forecast calls for 185,600 new pilots and 243,500 new technicians for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) in the Asia Pacific region through 2030.
China, which will have the largest demand in the region, will need 71,300 pilots and 99,400 technicians over the next 20 years; North East Asia will need 18,800 pilots and 26,500 technicians; South East Asia will require 51,500 pilots and 67,400 technicians; the Oceania region will need 12,900 pilots and 17,100 technicians; and South West Asia will need 31,000 pilots and 33,100 technicians, Boeing analysts predict.
The Asia Pacific region also leads the demand for new commercial airplane deliveries over the next 20 years, with 12,030 new airplanes needed by 2031 according to Boeing's 2012 Current Market Outlook.
"Some airlines are already experiencing delays and operational interruptions because they don't have enough qualified pilots, explains Bob Bellitto, global sales director at Boeing Flight Services. "Surging economies in the region are driving travel demand."
In June, Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation to help Indonesia establish aviation training programs.
For more information contact Boeing online at www.boeing.com.
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