Asia-Stillehavsregionen vil få voldsomt behov for fly og flygere - Curt Lewis

Asia-Pacific Will Need 17,000 New Commercial Aircraft By 2039

Chicago based American plane manufacturer Boeing has just released their 2019 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook. In this report, the planemaker predicts that the Asia-Pacific region will need 17,000 new commercial aircraft by 2039.


Boeing report says Asia-Pacific region will need 17,000 new aircraft. Photo: Boeing
The report foresees the Asia-Pacific region leading global demand for not only commercial aircraft but for commercial pilots, technicians and cabin crew as well.
According to Boeings calculations, the Asia-Pacific region will account for one-third of global demand. In human terms, this equates to 816,000 personnel over the next two decades.

Demand for aviation personnel in the Asia Pacific region will increase
In the report, which was released Tuesday, September 3rd, vice president of Training & Professional Services for Boeing Global Services Keith Cooper is quoted as saying:



China is going to need 124,000 new commercial pilots. Photo: Alex Beltyukov via Wikimedia
"Demand for personnel in the Asia Pacific region remains significant, and we expect this trend to continue. Boeing supports the full lifecycle of an aircraft to help make sure that our customers have qualified personnel to fly, maintain and staff them."

The 2019 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook tries to estimate aviation industry demands around the globe for personnel, while taking into account regulatory requirements, crewing requirements and accounting for annual aircraft utilization rates.

Over the next 20 years, airlines will need 44,000 new planes
The report forecasts that over the next 20 years, airlines are going to need 44,000 new aircraft. Of these, 39% or 17,000 will be delivered to the Asia-Pacific region.



China alone will need to train 150,000 new cabin crew Photo: Boeing
Together with the 17,000 new planes, the region will require 244,000 commercial aircraft pilots or 38% of global demand. This demand takes into account the attrition rate of older aircraft, staff retirements and, more importantly, fleet growth due to increased demand.

China on its own will need 124,000 new commercial pilots, which is just over half of the region's demand, with the rest of the new pilots being divided up amongst Southeast Asia and South Asia.

This heightened demand for staff doesn't stop there, with the region requiring 249,000 new maintenance technicians and 323,000 new cabin crew. Again China leads the ways with a predicted 140,000 maintenance technicians and 150,000 cabin crew.

Boeing ends its press release by saying how the company partners with customers, governments and educational institutions to ensure the aviation industry is prepared to meet future demands.

Tourism from China is set to explode

This unprecedented growth in the Asia-Pacific region should come as no surprise if you have been paying attention to the number of Chinese tourists around the world.

To put it in growth terms, back in 2000 only 10.5 million Chinese took trips overseas. Fast forward to 2018 and the figure was a staggering 149.7 million, an increase of 1,326%.

This means that in less than 20 years, China has leapfrogged the U.S.A. with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) saying that, while abroad, Chinese citizens spent $277.3 billion compared to American's $144.2 billion. These figures become even more enlightening when you consider that only nine percent of China's population has a passport.

By 2030 The China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) is predicting that 400 million Chinese will be taking trips overseas. If the UNWTO is correct, it looks like Boeing are spot on with their forecast for the Asia-Pacific region

Boeing sees China driving future pilot demand in Asia


Boeing expects that the Asia-Pacific region will need 244,000 new commercial pilots over the next 20 years, with China accounting for more than half the demand.

In its 2019 Pilot and Technician Outlook, Boeing notes that the region continues to be the key driver of future demand for pilots, technicians and cabin crew, accounting for one-third of anticipated global demand.

The forecast projects that the Asia-Pacific region will need 244,000 new commercial pilots, or 38%, of the pilots needed around the globe. It will account for around 39% of the global demand for maintenance technicians, or about 249,000 personnel. The region will also make up 37% of global demand for cabin crew, or about 323,000 personnel.

In particular, Boeing notes that demand in China will be "most significant". Out of the 244,000 new commercial pilots projected, China is expected to need 124,000. Southeast Asia and South Asia follow, with 20% and 17% of the demand respectively.

China also leads in demand for technicians and cabin crew. Forecasts for maintenance technician and cabin crew numbers are pegged at about 124,000 and 150,000, respectively.

Boeing is also forecasting that over the next 20 years, airlines globally will need 44,000 new aircraft. About 39% of them will go to carriers in the Asia-Pacific region.

The manufacturer states that its forecast is pegged to aircraft delivery projections, taking into account aircraft utilisation and crew requirements.