Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Airlines Need 637,000 New Pilots | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Caption:

: An Alitalia pilot holds his cap at Fiumicino international
airport in Rome. Photo: Reuters


New York, London- Airlines will need 637,000 new pilots over the next 20 years to keep pace with the growth of global air traffic, Boeing reported on Tuesday in an annual report.

Its latest estimate of the pilot requirements is up 3.6 % from last year’s report.

Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region alone will need 253,000 new pilots, a third of the total, according to the report, which was prepared by Boeing’s Global Services Division.

It put North America’s requirement at 117,000 new pilots and Europe’s at 106,000 for the period from 2017 to 2036, according to Reuters.

The report also projects a need for 648,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians, a 4.6 % dip from last year’s estimate due mainly to a reduction in maintenance hours required by the Boeing 737 MAX.

As for flight crews, it said 839,000 flight attendants will need to be recruited through 2036, including 308,000 in the Asia-Pacific region, 173,000 in Europe, 154,000 in North America and 96,000 in the Middle East.

A study published last month by CAE, a company that specializes in civil aviation training, found that airlines will need 255,000 more pilots over the next 10 years.

Many experts have warned that airlines face a looming pilot shortage.