Fleet growth rates and tightening labour supply are among
reasons for increasing shortages, says Boeing.
Mideast to need 64,000 new pilots in 20 years: Boeing
WASHINGTON, July 24, 2018
The Middle East region will face a requirement for about 64,000 new pilots over the next 20 years, whereas the global demand is projected at 790,000 pilots over the same period, said Boeing in its 2018 Pilot & Technician Outlook.
The world demand represents double the current workforce and the most significant demand in the outlook's nine-year history.
The demand is being driven by an anticipated doubling of the global commercial airplane fleet — as reported in Boeing's Commercial Market Outlook — as well as record-high air travel demand and a tightening labour supply. This year's outlook also includes data from the business aviation and civil helicopter sectors for the first time.
"Despite strong global air traffic growth, the aviation industry continues to face a pilot labour supply challenge, raising concern about the existence of a global pilot shortage in the near-term," said Keith Cooper, vice president of Training & Professional Services, Boeing Global Services.
"An emphasis on developing the next generation of pilots is key to help mitigate this. With a network of training campuses and relationships with flight schools around the globe, Boeing partners with customers, governments and educational institutions to help ensure the market is ready to meet this significant pilot demand."
Boeing offers the Pilot Development Program – an accelerated training program that guides future pilots from early stage ab-initio training through type rating as a first officer – to help operators meet their growing pilot needs. Boeing also helps operators improve crew efficiency with tools that optimize resources and minimize disruption.
Despite the commercial pilot demand forecast holding nearly steady, maintenance technician demand decreased slightly from 648,000 to 622,000, primarily due to longer maintenance intervals for new aircraft. Collectively, the business aviation and civil helicopter sectors will demand an additional 155,000 pilots and 132,000 technicians.
Demand for commercial cabin crew increased slightly from 839,000 to 858,000, due to changes in fleet mix, regulatory requirements, denser seat configurations and multi-cabin configurations that offer more personalized service. In addition, 32,000 new cabin crew will be required to support business aviation. – TradeArabia News Service
