CAE forecasts 1.5 million civil aviation professionals needed over 10 years to fill industry gaps

An estimated 1.5 million civil aviation professionals will be needed worldwide by 2034, according to CAE’s biennial Aviation Talent Forecast. The comprehensive 2025 edition of the forecast analyses the need for pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, cabin crew, and, for the first time, air traffic controllers, predicting that 71,000 controllers will be needed globally over the next 10 years. The 2025 CAE Aviation Talent Forecast reports that 1,292,000 commercial aviation professionals will be needed – 267,000 pilots, 347,000 aviation maintenance technicians, and 678,000 cabin crew – with the largest percentage required to meet rapidly rising demand in the Asia Pacific region. In addition, 102,000 business aviation professionals are expected to be needed worldwide over the next 10 years, including 33,000 pilots and 69,000 aircraft maintenance technicians. “The need for 1.5 million new aviation professionals by 2034 is being driven by record demand for air travel and a significant wave of retirements that is expected across all categories. With commercial and business aviation fleets expected to see double-digit increases over the next 10 years, the industry must take action to attract, train, and retain personnel. Highly skilled aviation professionals are not just a necessity for the safety of the air transport system, they are the foundation for the successful expansion and resilience of the global aviation sector,” explains Marie-Christine Cloutier, Vice-President – Strategy, Performance, Air Traffic Services & Marketing at CAE. “To meet the demand, the industry needs to be proactive and creative. Adaptability and optimised training will be key to supplying the demand,” she says. Attracting talent is one challenge. Another is ensuring qualified candidates make it through graduation and into the workforce. Across all professions covered in the report, dropout and failure rates are higher than they should be. For example, in the United States alone, a staggering 30% of paid air traffic control students do not complete their training, according to the National Airspace System Safety Review Team. “We need a comprehensive training environment that caters to the way new generations learn and thrive. At CAE, part of our solution is investing significantly in innovation and technology. Some of our latest advancements include CAE’s immersive pilot training app using Apple Vision Pro, and the CAE Prodigy Image Generator, our ultra-realistic 3D visual system using gaming technology,” Cloutier explains. Aircraft Academy receives EASA Part 66 approval Aircraft Academy announced that it has received formal approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to offer EASA Part 66 training and examinations. This prestigious certification enables Aircraft Academy, which is already a Part-147 training facility, to deliver comprehensive training and assessment services for aircraft maintenance engineers across multiple categories. The EASA Part 66 certification is an internationally recognised standard that ensures the highest levels of competence and compliance for licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. With this approval, Aircraft Academy can now provide theoretical and practical training, as well as conduct approved examinations in accordance with EASA’s rigorous standards. “We are delighted to announce that we have achieved this important milestone at the Paris Air Show 2025,” said Armel Jezequel, CEO of Aircraft Academy. “This approval not only validates the quality and integrity of our training programmes, but it also enables us to contribute directly to the development of highly skilled professionals within the global aviation maintenance community. Under Part 66 our training will include categories such Category B1 (Mechanical), and Category B2 (Avionics), among others.  The training programmes are designed to meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry and support both aspiring and current engineers in attaining their professional goals,” Jezequel adds. “We are experiencing huge demand from all over the world for aircraft mechanic training. Students from as far away as the Philippines and India are joining their European colleagues of all ages to attain qualifications or upskill to new aircraft/engine types.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]