Airbus forecasts that the global commercial aviation industry will require more than 2.44 million additional skilled workers by 2045 as annual passenger traffic reaches 10 billion and the fleet expands to 45,550 aircraft. The estimate covers 660,000 pilots, 730,000 maintenance technicians and 1.05 million cabin-crew members across passenger aircraft with more than 100 seats and freighters above 10 tonnes of payload.
The workforce requirement forms part of Airbus’s Global Services Forecast for the commercial aviation aftermarket. The projection represents cumulative demand through 2045 rather than immediate vacancies for a specific airline or service provider.
Airbus expects aviation-services demand to increase from $209 billion in 2026 to $422 billion annually by 2045, equivalent to average annual growth of 3.8%. The market includes operational support, maintenance, training, aircraft modifications and digital connectivity.
Maintenance is expected to account for the largest share of spending as the fleet grows and ages. Digital and connectivity services are forecast to be among the fastest-growing segments, rising by 5.3% annually to $27 billion by 2045, while training services are projected to reach $17 billion a year. The figures highlight the scale of recruitment and training required across airlines, maintenance organisations and other aviation-services providers.