Boeing Forecasts Demand for 2.1 Million New Commercial Aviation Personnel and Enhanced Training

  • New Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO) shows a 3.4% growth from 2021 for forecasted regions.
  • More than half of demand in China, Europe and North America; fastest growing regions are Africa, Southeast and South Asia.
  • Boeing developing digitally enabled competency-based training and assessment solutions focused on safety and quality.

Boeing’s  2022 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO) forecasts demand for 2.1 million new aviation personnel over the next 20 years to safely support the recovery in commercial air travel and meet rising long-term growth.  

The long-term forecast shows that 602,000 pilots, 610,000 maintenance technicians and 899,000 cabin crew members will be needed to support the global commercial fleet over the next two decades. The worldwide fleet is expected to nearly double and grow to 47,080 airplanes by 2041, according to Boeing’s recently released Commercial Market Outlook.

This year’s PTO represents a 3.4 percent increase from 2021, excluding the Russia region, which is not forecast in this year’s PTO due to sanctions that prohibit exports of aircraft manufactured in western countries and market uncertainty. China, Europe and North America represent over half of the total new personnel demand. The fastest growing regions are Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia, with all three regions expected to grow more than 4 percent over the forecast period.

“As the commercial aviation industry recovers from the pandemic and plans for long-term growth, we anticipate a steady and increasing demand for aviation personnel, as well as the ongoing need for highly effective training,” said Chris Broom, vice president, Commercial Training Solutions, Boeing Global Services. “Our customer-centric approach and digital expertise includes a commitment to delivering data driven, competency-based training and assessment solutions as well as technologies that meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

New digital solutions to enhance the efficacy and efficiency of training would include immersive learning experiences and virtual learning platforms.

Projected demand for new pilots, technicians and cabin crew by global region for the next 20 years is approximately:

Region

New Pilots

New Technicians

New Cabin Crew

Africa

20,000

21,000

26,000

China

126,000

124,000

162,000

Europe

122,000

120,000

207,000

Latin America

35,000

35,000

48,000

Middle East

53,000

50,000

99,000

North America

128,000

134,000

173,000

Northeast Asia

22,000

24,000

38,000

Oceania

9,000

10,000

18,000

South Asia

37,000

34,000

43,000

Southeast Asia

50,000

58,000

85,000

Learn more about the Pilot and Technician Outlook

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Certain statements in this release may be “forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “projects,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “anticipates” and similar expressions generally identify these forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements relating to our future plans, business prospects, financial condition and operating results, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable when made, but that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict.

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