CAE’s 2025 Aviation Talent Forecast has projected 64,000 new pilots, 142,000 cabin crew, 94,000 maintenance technicians and 27,000 air traffic controllers wil be needed in Europe by 2034.
Global demand for 1.465m aviation professionals is driven by a 35pc commercial fleet increase to 44,000 aircraft and 5.2bn passengers in 2025.
The report cites 129,000 pilots needed globally for retirements and 138,000 for growth, with high dropout rates in air traffic control, particularly 30pc in the US.
Strategies include mentorship, STEM career fairs, AR/VR training, scholarships and increasing women’s participation, currently at 5pc of Airline Transport Pilot roles.
Asia-Pacific, including India’s need for 20,700 pilots, and North America’s business jet dominance drive demand, with Europe facing air traffic controller shortages.
CAE shared in a written statement: “The industry must proactively recruit and modernise training to meet the demand for 1.465m aviation professionals by 2034.”
