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 on the subject. Its latest estimate of the pilot requirements is up 3.6 percent 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.
The report also projects a need for 648,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians, a 4.6 percent dip from last year's estimate due mainly to a reduction in maintenance hours required by the Boeing 737 MAX.