Boeing's newly released 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects that North America will need 125,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians over the next 20 years, part of a broader regional demand for 438,000 new aviation professionals and 995 billion dollars in total services and support spending through 2045. The North America total includes 122,000 new pilots and 191,000 new cabin crew members, reflecting continued fleet growth and a wave of retirements among existing aviation personnel across the region.

Globally, Boeing forecasts demand for more than 2.4 million new aviation professionals over the same period, including 728,000 maintenance technicians, 674,000 pilots and 1,023,000 cabin crew members, tied to a 4.9 trillion dollar global commercial aviation support and services market. Boeing said roughly two-thirds of the global personnel demand will come from replacing retiring workers, while one-third reflects growth in the size of the commercial fleet.

The figures come from Boeing's Services Market Outlook and Pilot and Technician Outlook, both released in July 2026, which the company said reflect efficiency initiatives, increased aircraft digitalization, and a growing need for a skilled workforce as fleets expand and age. North America's projected personnel demand trails only Eurasia and China in total new technicians required, underscoring the scale of the maintenance workforce buildout facing US and Canadian carriers and MRO providers over the next two decades.

Source: Boeing — https://investors.boeing.com/investors/news/press-release-details/2026/Boeing-Forecasts-4-9-Trillion-Commercial-Aviation-Support-and-Services-Market-and-Demand-for-more-than-2-4-Million-New-Aviation-Personnel-Over-20-Years/default.aspx