Middle East airlines to require more than 200,000 additional staff by 2035

Middle Eastern airlines will require more than 200,000 additional personnel to serve their new aircraft deliveries over the next decade, according to US plane maker Boeing.

The company’s pilot and technician outlook released this week forecast the need for 92,000 cabin crew, 58,000 pilots and 66,000 technicians in the region, behind only Asia Pacific, Europe and North America in terms of demand.

Much of this growth is likely to be attributed to Gulf big three airlines Dubai’s Emirates, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad and Qatar Airways.

Emirates alone projected it would hire a total of 10,000 new employees this year.

Boeing forecast that between now and 2035 the aviation will need to supply more than two million new aviation personally globally, including 617,000 commercial airline pilots, 679,000 maintenance technicians, and 814,000 cabin crew.

“New technologies, devices, and training methods will be needed to meet a wide range of learning styles. The growing diversity of aviation personnel will also require instructors to have cross-cultural and cross-generational skills to engage tomorrow’s workforce,” it said.

Global economic expansion was cited as one of the chief reasons for growing airline fleets.

Boeing said regional markets that have relied heavily on recruiting international pilots are increasingly seeking to recruit, train and develop locally sourced talent.

There will also be consistent demand for maintenance personnel despite aeroplane reliability general improving.

While for cabin crew demand will be driven be higher seat capacity planes and new regional regulation requiring more personnel onboard.