Boeing Predicts Training Issues Could Impede Growing Technician Demand

Boeing predicts continued growth in how many aviation maintenance technicians the industry will need over the next 20 years, but the OEM is concerned that training capacity issues will hinder progress toward meeting that workforce demand.

In its 2024 Pilot and Technician Outlook, Boeing forecasts the need for 716,000 new maintenance technicians worldwide over the next 20 years—a 3.76% increase over last year’s prediction.

This demand will be led by Eurasia and China, which Boeing says will need 167,000 and 137,000 new technicians, respectively, followed by North America, which will need 123,000 technicians. The report predicts growth in technician demand compared with last year’s forecast for every region except for China, which Boeing previously predicted would need 138,000 technicians over the next 20 years.

Boeing noted that insufficient training capacity to support the personnel shortage and the lag time required to bring new staff online would be major challenges for meeting this demand. 

The Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) has similarly highlighted these issues over the last year. In its most recent Pipeline Report, ATEC noted the shortage of qualified instructors and designated maintenance examiners as major roadblocks to meeting technician demand. It also predicted, based on FAA data about growth in certificated mechanics, that the U.S. commercial aviation industry will be 31,000 mechanics short of its needs by 2031.

Last week, Boeing projected $4.4 trillion in services demand over the next 20 years. It says nearly half of the demand will come from Eurasia ($1.06 trillion) and North America ($995 billion), followed by China ($780 billion)—the three regions with the highest technician demand.