A report by Boeing's Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for the year 2023 has suggested that passenger traffic has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels and that most domestic markets have fully recovered from the disruption that came in the wake of the pandemic, per monitored report on Simple Flying.
The CMO also disclosed that individual countries and aviation jurisdictions have come a long way in resuming domestic flights to 2019 levels while international traffic is on the road to recovery and is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024.
With new airlines and better accessibility of air travel, the aviation industry is going to grow significantly in the next two decades. As such, the current size of the global fleet will double to over 48,500 by 2042. Catering to the demand, the adequate supply and training of personnel, particularly flight crew and maintenance technicians, remain critical for the forecasted growth of the aviation industry.
Simply Flying reports that flight crews (both pilots and cabin crew) play an important role in the growth and prosperity of the aviation ecosystem and that according to the latest CMO, the demand for training and related services has shown signs of faster recovery. More and more training organisations and institutions are keen to make resources available for pilots and cabin crew. However, the adequate supply of support personnel remains a lingering challenge in aviation.
The CMO suggests the establishment of long-term strategies to address the challenges related to labour shortages. The aviation industry drivers, including the regulatory authorities and large airline groups, must invest in early career-development programs to excite and recruit future aviators.
Boeing forecasts 1.5m new flight crew requirement globally by 2042