Flight training provider CAE forecasts an estimated 1.5 million civil aviation professionals will be needed over the next 10 years.
CAE’s biennial Aviation Talent Forecast, released at the 2025 Paris Air Show, predicts that worldwide there will be a need for:
- 300,000 pilots
- 416,000 aircraft maintenance technicians
- 678,000 cabin crew
- 71,000 air traffic controllers
In addition, 102,000 business aviation professionals are expected to be needed worldwide over the next 10 years, including 33,000 pilots and 69,000 aircraft maintenance technicians.
“The need for 1.5 million new aviation professionals by 2034 is being driven by record demand for air travel and a significant wave of retirements that is expected across all categories,” said Marie-Christine Cloutier, Vice President, Strategy, Performance, Air Traffic Services & Marketing at CAE. “With commercial and business aviation fleets expected to see double digit increases over the next 10 years, the industry must take action to attract, train, and retain personnel. Highly skilled aviation professionals are not just a necessity for the safety of the air transport system, they are the foundation for the successful expansion and resilience of the global aviation sector.”
Attracting talent is one challenge, CAE officials noted. Another is ensuring qualified candidates make it through graduation and into the workforce.
“Across all professions covered in the report, dropout and failure rates are higher than they should be,” CAE officials said. “For example, in the United States alone, a staggering 30% of paid air traffic control students do not complete their training, according to the National Airspace System Safety Review Team.”
You can read the full 2025 Aviation Talent Forecast here.
For more information: CAE.com
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