Boeing's 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects that North America will require 125,000 new maintenance technicians between 2026 and 2045. The region also needs 122,000 new pilots and 191,000 new cabin crew over the same window, for a regional total of 438,000 new aviation personnel.

North America accounts for 18 percent of the 2.425 million new personnel Boeing forecasts worldwide. The global total breaks down to 674,000 pilots, 728,000 maintenance technicians, and 1,023,000 cabin crew.

On fleet metrics, Boeing puts North America airline fleet growth at 1.2 percent a year through 2045, the slowest rate of any region in the forecast, with traffic growth at 2.7 percent. The region is still projected to take 8,405 aircraft deliveries from 2026 through 2045, trailing China at 9,240 and Eurasia at 8,590. Single-aisle aircraft account for 6,350 of the North America figure, with 945 widebodies, 810 regional jets, and 300 freighters.

Boeing values North America aviation services at $995 billion across the forecast period. Maintenance, repair, overhaul, and modifications account for $270 billion of that. Parts and distribution services reach $380 billion, information services $305 billion, and training and pilot services $40 billion. Regional services spending grows at 2.5 percent a year.

Boeing attributes technician demand to a limited supply of qualified candidates, retirements, attrition, and competition from other technical industries. Airlines and MRO providers continue to report difficulty filling roles that require line maintenance experience and airframe-specific expertise.

Source: Boeing - https://www.boeing.com/content/dam/boeing/v2/products/pilot-technician-outlook/pdf/2026-pto-download.pdf