Boeing forecasts 710,000 new aircraft technicians needed by 2044
Boeing’s newly released 2025 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO) forecasts a long-term demand for 710,000 new commercial aviation maintenance technicians over the next 20 years – underscoring the growing pressure on MRO organisations and training providers to build a future-ready workforce.
The forecast highlights that nearly one-third of the 2.4 million new aviation personnel needed globally through 2044 will be maintenance technicians. As air traffic continues to outpace economic growth and the global fleet expands, maintaining aircraft safely and efficiently will hinge on a robust and well-trained technical workforce.
Technician demand will be driven primarily by single-aisle fleet growth, with two-thirds of new personnel expected to replace retiring workers and one-third supporting new aircraft entering service.
Regional breakdowns reveal North America will require 123,000 technicians, Eurasia (165,000), China (131,000), Southeast Asia (78,000), South Asia (45,000), Africa (24,000), Latin America (42,000), Middle East (63,000), Northeast Asia (27,000), and Oceania (12,000).
The outlook also emphasises the urgent need for modernised training frameworks. Virtual, mixed, and augmented reality are expected to play a key role in accelerating learning curves and enabling technicians to practice complex procedures in immersive environments.
As MRO operations become more data-driven and technology-intensive, industry stakeholders are being urged to invest not only in recruitment, but also in developing agile training pipelines that can meet the evolving skills needs of tomorrow’s aviation technicians.
