Airlines industry will need 617 thousand pilots over the next 20 years

LA Times – If you’re looking for a new career, Boeing suggests checking out the airline industry. Based on the number of plane orders and airline expansion plans in the works, the aerospace giant predicted this week that the industry will need to hire 617,000 new commercial pilots, 679,000 maintenance technicians and 814,000 new crew members by 2035.

The biggest growth in the industry will be in Asia, where air traffic is growing by 6% a year, fueled by the surge of middle-class travelers. The growth means that Asia will need about 40% of all the new pilots, technicians and flight crew members in the next 20 years, the report said. The growing popularity of low-cost carriers around the world also has triggered the demand for planes and their crews.

North America will need about 17% of the new pilots and technicians and 21% of new crew members, the report said. Boeing spokesman Tom Kim said the company operates several pilot training and development programs to help meet future pilot demand. He said the purpose of the outlook report is to “hopefully encourage people to pursue careers in those fields.”