Africa will need 29 000 pilots over the next 20 years, US aerospace group Boeing has forecast. The continent will also need 28 000 technicians and 29 000 cabin crew. These predictions were made in the group’s 2018 'Pilot & Technician Outlook', released on Tuesday.

The report divides the world into seven regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Russia and Central Asia. The region which will see the greatest demand is the Asia-Pacific, which will need 261 000 pilots, 257 000 technicians and 321 000 cabin crew. The region with the lowest demand will be Russia and Central Asia, which will require 27 000 pilots, 27 000 technicians and 29 000 cabin crew.

Worldwide, the commercial aviation demand for pilots will be 635 000, for technicians 622 000 and for cabin crew 858 000. Additionally, globally, the business aviation sector will require 96 000 pilots, 89 000 technicians and 32 000 cabin crew, and the civil helicopter sector will account for 59 000 pilots and 43 000 technicians.

This will give a total global requirement for 790 000 pilots, 754 000 technicians and 890 000 cabin crew. This demand for skilled personnel will be driven by the forecast major increase – about 100% – in the size of the global airliner fleet over the same period.

In regional terms, regarding pilots, North America will rank second in terms of demand (206 000), Europe third (146 000), the Middle East fourth (64 000) and Latin America fifth (57 000), meaning Africa will be sixth. Concerning technicians, North America will again be second (189 000), Europe third (132 000), the Middle East fourth (66 000), Latin America fifth (55 000) and Africa sixth. In terms of cabin crew requirements, Europe will rank second (187 000), North America third (174 000), the Middle East fourth (97 000), Latin America fifth (53 000) and Africa sixth.

“Despite strong global air traffic growth, the aviation industry continues to face a pilot labour supply challenge, raising concern about the existence of a global pilot shortage in the near-term,” highlighted Boeing Global Services VP: training and professional services Keith Cooper. “An emphasis on developing the next generation of pilots is key to help mitigate this. With a network of training campuses and relationships with flight schools around the globe, Boeing partners with customers, governments and educational institutions to help ensure the market is ready to meet this significant pilot demand.”