Wanted: 600,000 pilots

A demand for more than 1.2m key airline personnel including 600,000-plus pilots over the next 20 years has been highlighted by Boeing in its newly-released 2017 Pilot and Technician Outlook.

Now in its eighth year, the outlook is a respected industry study that forecasts the 20-year demand for crews to support the world’s growing commercial airplane fleet.

Boeing forecasts that between 2017 and 2036, the world’s commercial aviation industry will require some 637,000 new commercial airline pilots, 648,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians and 839,000 new cabin crew members.

The 2017 outlook shows a slight increase of 3.2% for pilots over the 2016 outlook, and a slight decrease of 4.6% in the need for airline maintenance technicians, primarily driven by the reduction in maintenance hours required on the 737 MAX.

Broken down by region, the guide shows the greatest demand over the next 20 years will be from the Asia-Pacific area, with an expected need for 253,000 pilots, 256,000 technicians and 308,000 cabin crew.

The corresponding figures for North America are 117,000 pilots, 118,000 technicians and 154,000 cabin crew, while for Europe it is estimated 106,000 pilots will be needed, 111,000 technicians and 173,000 cabin crew.

www.boeing.com/commercial/market/pilot-technician-outlook/2017

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Paul Kay, UK/London

.....er...So much for pilot less planes coming soon.....