Boeing Outlook
The Asia-Pacific region will continue to drive demand for pilots, cabin crew and MRO technicians, according to the latest Boeing outlook released at the APATS 2019 conference in Singapore. Out of a global demand for 645,000 pilots, Asia-Pacific will account for 244,000 or 38 percent over the next 20 years. China will need the most with 124,000, followed by Southeast Asia with 49,000, South Asia with 41,000, Northeast Asia with 19,000 and Oceania with 11,000.
On the MRO front, Boeing forecasts that globally, the world will need 632,000 MRO technicians over the next 20 years, with Asia alone needing 249,000 or 39 percent of the global demand. China again heads the list with 124,000 needed, followed by Southeast Asia at 56,000, South Asia at 36,000, Northeast Asia at 22,000 and Oceania at 11,000.
The biggest number in Boeing’s outlook comes from cabin crew, which the manufacturer said some 881,000 will be needed globally over the next 20 years. Of that number, China will need 150,000, Southeast Asia will need 77,000, South Asia will need 43,000, Northeast Asia will need 34,000 and Oceania will need 19,000.
Boeing also said commercial aviation will require US$9.1 trillion in services over the next 20 years, with Asia-Pacific accounting for 38 percent of the demand, followed Europe with 22 percent and North America with 20 percent. Ground and cargo operations will account for the majority of the growth, followed by MRO and then flight operations.
Demand for airplanes is being drive by Asia, which is no surprise, with the region accounting for 39 percent of planned deliveries over the next 20 years, followed by North America and then Europe. Those deliveries are expected to be worth US$6.8 trillion. Boeing says at least 44,040 new airplanes will be required over the next 20 years with single-aisle planes leading the way, driven by demand from low-cost carriers.
Boeing said demand for planes, pilots, MRO techs and cabin crew will come from a mix of “fleet growth, retirements and attrition” adding that for the industry to deal with the challenge, “educational outreach and career pathway programmes will be essential to inspiring and recruiting the next generation of personnel.”
“Immersive technologies, adaptive learning, schedule flexibility and new teaching methods will be needed to effectively meet a wide range of learning styles,” Boeing said. “The growing diversity and mobility of aviation personnel will also require instructors to have cross-cultural, cross-generational and multilingual skills to engage tomorrow’s workforce.”
TRU and Cathay sign agreements: TRU Simulation + Training announced at APATS 2019 that it had signed agreements with Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways for three new flight simulators. As part of the agreement, TRU will provide a Boeing 777-9 full flight simulator, a 777-9 flight training device, and an A320neo FFS. The 777-9 FFS will be one of the first in the world provided to an airline. Financial terms were not disclosed.
TRU was selected in 2016 by Boeing as the exclusive simulator supplier on the 777-9 programme. Shortly after Boeing’s selection of TRU, two 777-9 full flight training suites were placed on order for Boeing’s training centres in Gatwick and Singapore, and are currently in development at TRU’s Montreal, Canada facility. TRU’s flight training simulator development programme is actively being completed in parallel with Boeing as it works towards the 777-9 aircraft’s entry into service.
“We are pleased to have been selected by Cathay Pacific Airways as a partner to support its growing demand for pilot training as the airline expands its operations. As the exclusive supplier to Boeing on the 777-9, we’re proud to provide the highest standards of innovation, quality, fidelity and safety to Cathay Pacific’s training programs,” commented George Karam, vice president and general manager of TRU’s Air Transport Simulation division.
CAE says it’s expanding in Asia: CAE announced at APATS that it’s expanding its training capacity in Asia with new training centres in Bangkok to support Thai AirAsia’s growth and a new centre in Gurugram in India. “These new training centres will provide local training solutions to meet the growing needs of our customers in Asia,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president for Civil Aviation Training Solutions. “Asia is set to have the strongest demand for pilots over the next two decades, and CAE will be there to support growth in the region with the most comprehensive training solutions.”
As part of CAE’s existing agreement with Thai AirAsia, the new CAE Bangkok training centre will be located near Don Mueang International Airport. CAE will initially deploy two CAE 7000XR Series Airbus A320 full-flight simulators, equipped with the CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system. This new training centre in Bangkok will have a training capacity of up to six full-flight simulators and will be operational in 2020, subject to regulatory approvals.
CAE New Delhi Gurugram – CAE Simulation Training Private Limited (CSTPL) training centre is a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and CAE. The new training centre is located near the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Gurugram and will have two CAE 7000XR Series Airbus A320 FFSs equipped with the CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system and will be deployed in 2020. CAE’s current joint venture training centre, is located in greater Noida near New Delhi. Financial terms were not disclosed.
