OSHKOSH — During Boeing’s 2025 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO), presented this week at the EAA AirVenture airshow, the American manufacturing giant forecasts the need for 2.37 million new professionals over the next two decades, with the flock segmented as follows:

• 660,000 pilots
• 710,000 technicians
• 1,000,000 cabin crew

Steady air travel growth that outpaces economic expansion, along with a continuous renewal of the global commercial fleet, drives this surge in demand.  Boeing says the new personnel will focus on supporting fleet expansions, comprised mostly of single-aisle aircraft, with two-thirds of the new hires to replace retiring employees.

The following are the areas with the most demand:

• 550,000 in Eurasia
• 435,000 in North America
• 426,000 in China

The fastest-growing regions are predicted to be South and Southeast Asia, where demand is predicted to quadruple. Another growing yet low-key market, Latin America will require 134,000 new aviation professionals by 2044, including 37,000 pilots, 42,000 maintenance technicians, and 55,000 cabin crew members.

Sound Investment

Boeing and the industry are investing in cutting-edge training technologies including competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) and mixed reality in order to tackle this challenge. To improve safety and operational readiness, this approach, which has been approved by the ICAO and EASA, focuses on applying practical skills throughout flight hours.

Chris Broom, Boeing Global Services' VP of Commercial Training Solutions, states, “As air traffic demand continues to outpace economic growth and fleets expand, maintaining a safe and efficient global operation depends on rapidly developing a skilled workforce.”

So if your kids are into aviation, there's never been a better time to start thinking about a future in aviation more seriously.