More people are buying online than ever before, and expectations for speedy delivery are constantly rising. As a result, some online retailers are investing in their own delivery pipelines, which is creating new jobs for skilled workers who can optimize these supply chains.
Notably, Amazon is spending $1.5 billion to build its own cargo airline hub in Kentucky. The new facility will create 2,000 jobs, many of them for technicians, maintenance, and support staff for 40 Amazon Prime Air planes.
Amazon’s entry into the cargo market aligns with Boeing‘s 2016-2017 forecast for world air cargo growth. According to Boeing, “world air cargo traffic is forecast to grow an average 4.2% per year over the next 20 years. The number of airplanes in the freighter fleet will increase by 70% by the end of the forecast period.”
That’s a lot of new planes in the air, and a lot of new technicians on the ground making sure that every aircraft is safe, note officials with the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA).