Global Services
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management, implementation of Electronic Work Instructions and optimal inclusion of additional data elements
management, implementation of Electronic Work Instructions and optimal inclusion of additional data elements
Over 2 million — that’s how many new pilots, technicians, and cabin crew the global aviation industry will need between 2026 and 2045, according to Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook.
Of this demand, Eurasia, North America, and China account for around 60%.
Behind the number is a tough question: Where will this next generation of workers come from, and will they have the skills this new digital era of aviation demands?
Aviation is growing more complex than ever before, with a heavier emphasis on AI, competency-based training, and lifecycle optimization.
The result? Not only must operators and MROs train and hire at scale, but they must also reassess how they train and hire.
As aviation services evolve, long-term success will depend more and more on what is arguably the industry’s most valuable asset: its people.
Key drivers behind the aviation workforce shift
Boeing’s 2026 Services Market Outlook predicts that labor shortages and workforce juniority will pose productivity problems for aviation services organizations in the near term. The report calls this trend one of the industry’s “most significant structural challenges.”
But what exactly is driving these workforce changes?
Here’s the breakdown:
- Retirement wave: As more aviation professionals reach retirement age, airlines and MROs will see their most experienced employees exit the workforce. This shift will lead to a higher proportion of junior-level workers, many of whom lack the expertise of their older, more experienced peers.
- Fleet expansion: Fleets will keep growing as air travel continues to play a critical role in connecting people and economies around the world. But with bigger fleets comes a bigger demand for qualified pilots, cabin crew, and technicians.
- Skills gap: Aviation services have entered a new age of AI, digitalization, and lifecycle optimization. In response, operators and MROs will see the need to prioritize workers with hybrid skills in areas like predictive maintenance and circular logistics.
“The next generation of aviation professionals will need stronger digital, analytical, and systems-based skills, particularly in maintenance and operations support.”
— 2026 Boeing Services Market Outlook
5 Tips to address aviation workforce challenges
With several workforce challenges on the horizon, airlines, MROs, and training providers may struggle to determine their next steps. The five tips below can help build a strong foundation for long-term growth.
#1: Own the talent pipeline end to end
One of the best steps aviation services organizations can take is to shift from reactive hiring to deliberate pipeline ownership.
A few ways to do this:
- Early-career pipeline development: Invest in school partnerships, cadet programs, apprenticeships, and branded training pathways.
- Financial incentives to lower the cost barrier: Offer scholarships, financing options, and more competitive wages to reduce barriers to entry and encourage aviation careers.
- Technical curriculum alignment: Strengthen relationships with technical schools and community colleges while aligning curricula with fleet requirements and real-world maintenance practices.
#2: Adopt Competency-Based Training and Assessment
A relatively new approach to aviation training, Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) is gaining steam due to its focus on strengthening pilots’ decision-making and resilience using real-world scenarios.
As the Services Market Outlook notes, “This shift [toward CBTA] better aligns training with line operations and supports a smoother transition from instruction to operational readiness.”
By integrating CBTA into flight training, operators are equipping the aviation workforce to solve increasingly complex challenges.
#3: Modernize training with AI and digital tools
In addition to integrating CBTA, organizations can modernize their training using AI and other digital tools, such as Boeing Virtual Airplane, for a more streamlined, scalable approach to flight training.
VR/AR, simulators, and AI-assisted adaptive learning increase workers’ exposure to complex scenarios without tying up aircraft. This helps operators fulfill personnel requirements without impacting fleet growth.
#4: Protect and leverage mentoring capacity
With more aviation professionals retiring, airlines and MROs must ensure retirees transfer their knowledge to newer, less experienced workers. Doing this will help stabilize quality across growing junior cohorts.
Some ideas to try:
- Phased-retirement advisory roles: Offer part-time, consultancy, or advisory positions for senior staff to extend institutional knowledge and mentor juniors without a full-time commitment.
- Dedicated mentoring time: Formalize mentor-trainee ratios and incentivize so mentoring isn’t considered optional overtime.
- Use phased knowledge-capture and digital twins: Have experienced personnel record walkthroughs, troubleshooting sessions, and annotated maintenance procedures as video, VR, or digital aids to preserve tacit knowledge for wider distribution.
#5: Localize capability in high-growth regions
Boeing’s Services Market Outlook projects that aviation services will experience high growth over the next two decades in emerging markets in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Investing in local ecosystem development, including local training programs, will be more cost-effective and operationally efficient for organizations as these regions’ aviation workforces expand.
“The industry’s ability to recruit, train, and retain talent will remain one of the most important determinants of future growth.”
— 2026 Boeing Services Market Outlook
Bottom line: People are the key to success
Training and hiring 2.4 million qualified aviation workers in the next 20 years is overwhelming. And major challenges — including a retirement wave, growing operational complexities, and a new approach to training — won’t make it easy for airlines and MROs to adapt and thrive.
The challenge is solvable, though, for organizations willing to treat workforce development as an ongoing strategic priority rather as an annual hiring exercise.
By focusing early on talent pipelines, CBTA, digital upskilling, mentorship programs, and regional development, operators and MROs will be better positioned to achieve stronger results in the coming decades.
Next steps
- Read the full Services Market Outlook and Pilot and Technician Outlook
- Learn more about Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA)