Boeing: More than 1 million commercial airline pilots, maintenance technicians needed

OSHKOSH, Wis., 21 July 2015. Airlines worldwide will require 558,000 new commercial airline pilots and 609,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians between 2015 and 2034, according to the 2015 Pilot and Technician Outlook from Boeing [NYSE:BA]. The new forecast indicates continued strong demand for commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians as the world's airlines add 38,000 airplanes to the global fleet over the next 20 years.

"To help address this need, Boeing trained last year a record number of pilots and technicians at 17 training campuses around the globe and has invested in a comprehensive Pilot Development Program to train early stage pilots to become qualified commercial airline pilots," says Boeing Flight Services Vice President Sherry Carbary. "We will continue to increase the amount of training we provide, enabling our customers to satisfy the world's growing appetite for air travel.

"The challenge of meeting the global demand for airline professionals will not be solved by one company alone," Carbary adds. "Aircraft manufacturers, airlines, training equipment manufacturers, training delivery organizations, regulatory agencies, and educational institutions are all stepping up to meet the increasing need to train and certify pilots and technicians."

Boeing's 2015 Outlook projects continued increases in pilot demand, up more than four percent compared to the 2014 Outlook. For maintenance technicians, demand increased approximately five percent.

Overall global demand for these skilled resources will be driven by continued economic expansion, resulting in an average requirement for about 28,000 new pilots and more than 30,000 new technicians every year.

The 20-year projected demand for new pilots and technicians by region is:

Asia Pacific – 226,000 pilots and 238,000 technicians

Europe – 95,000 pilots and 101,000 technicians

North America – 95,000 pilots and 113,000 technicians

Latin America – 47,000 pilots and 47,000 technicians

Middle East – 60,000 pilots and 66,000 technicians

Africa – 18,000 pilots and 22,000 technicians

Russia / CIS – 17,000 pilots and 22,000 technicians

The Pilot and Technician Outlook is Boeing's long-term forecast of the demand for pilots and technicians and its estimate of personnel needed to fly and maintain the tens of thousands of new commercial jetliners expected to be produced over the next 20 years. The forecast is published annually to factor in changing market forces affecting the industry. Boeing shares the outlook with the public to inform airlines, suppliers and the financial community of trends in the industry.

Airline pilot images and airline maintenance technician images courtesy Shutterstock.