While the number of people choosing air travel is reaching new records, the aviation industry is predicted to face a talent shortage in the near future.
According to a report by the International Air Transport Association, air travel in the U.S. increased 4.9 percent in 2015, the fastest increase since 2004. 2015 also marked the first time since 2003 that domestic traffic growth outpaced international growth.
Furthermore, 231.1 million people were expected to fly on U.S. airlines this summer, up 4 percent from the year prior, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing figures from Airlines for America.
With air travel rapidly growing both in the U.S. and worldwide, there will be an “extraordinary demand” for pilots and cabin crew, over the coming decades, according to the 2016 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook. The report estimates that more than two million new aviation personnel will need to be hired between now and 2035.
Specifically, the industry will need 617,000 commercial airline pilots, 679,000 maintenance technicians and 814,000 cabin crew members.
The report noted that new technologies, training programs and educational programs will be needed to help develop the next generation of aviation talent.
