SAN FRANCISCO, July 22 -- Boeing on Monday projected a continued significant demand for aviation personnel over the next 20 years, as the global commercial airplane fleet continues to expand.

According to the company's 2024 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO), the industry will require nearly 2.4 million new professionals to support the growing commercial fleet and meet the long-term increase in air travel.

Commercial carriers will need 674,000 pilots, 716,000 maintenance technicians, and 980,000 cabin crew members through 2043 to sustain the global commercial fleet, according to the latest PTO.

"Driven by aviation traffic trending above pre-pandemic levels, personnel attrition and commercial fleet growth, the demand for aviation personnel continues to rise," said Chris Broom, vice president of Commercial Training Solutions at Boeing Global Services.

Two-thirds of new personnel will address replacement due to attrition, while one-third supports growth in the commercial fleet, the PTO said.

Eurasia, China and North America will drive demand for more than half of new industry personnel, it added.

South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa are the fastest-growing regions for personnel with staffing demand expected to more than triple over 20 years.

The demand for new personnel will be driven primarily by single-aisle airplanes, except in Africa and the Middle East where widebody airplane demand leads.

  - Xinhua