9 December 2025
If you’ve ever dreamed of working in aviation, the next decade could be your moment. Airlines and airports around the world are facing the biggest hiring wave in history, with more than 1.46 million new jobs set to open up by 2035.
A new report from global training company CAE says that demand for pilots, cabin crew, aircraft mechanics and air traffic controllers is skyrocketing as air travel continues to rebound after the pandemic.
The forecast says the industry will need:
That’s on top of replacing thousands of staff who are reaching retirement age. In the US alone, more than 4,000 pilots are expected to retire every year for the next decade.
Big numbers! CAE forecasts huge growth in aviation careers over the next 10 years. Image: CAE
Put simply: more people are flying than ever before. Passenger numbers are expected to hit a record 5.2 billion in 2025, up almost 7% from last year. Airlines are expanding their fleets to keep up, with the world’s commercial aircraft numbers set to jump from 33,000 to 44,000 by 2034.
Business jets and cargo planes are also in demand. E-commerce continues to fuel a boom in air freight, while private flying has remained popular even after the pandemic.
The rush to fill these jobs won’t be easy. Training a pilot or air traffic controller takes years, and dropout rates remain stubbornly high. Around one in three student controllers in the US never finish the course, while many would-be pilots and mechanics struggle with costs or the intensity of training.
CAE says the industry must rethink how it recruits and trains people — using virtual reality headsets, online learning and AI-powered simulators to make training faster, more flexible, and more appealing to younger generations raised on technology.
The report also calls for aviation to do more to attract women and people from underrepresented groups. At present, just 5% of airline transport pilots are women, and only 3% of certified mechanics. But change is happening: nearly 7% of new aircraft technicians are now female, a number expected to rise.
Alongside the hiring boom, the industry is under pressure to cut its carbon footprint.
For anyone considering a career in the skies — whether in the cockpit, the cabin, the control tower or the hangar — the message is clear: aviation needs you. With record growth, better technology and new opportunities opening across the globe, the next ten years could mark the start of a golden age for aviation careers.
Read the full CAE Talent Forecast here
CAE’s Vienna team in front of a full-flight simulator. Photo: CAE
CAE has inaugurated its first business aviation training centre in Central Europe, marking a major expansion of the company’s global network.
The new facility, CAE Vienna, has been operational since April and is now training pilots on some of the most in-demand business jets, with more capacity to follow.
The 86,000 sq ft centre houses full-flight simulators (FFS) for the Gulfstream G550, Bombardier Global 7500, and Global 6000, as well as an Embraer Phenom 100/300 device delivered through the Embraer CAE Training Services joint venture.
A Challenger 3500 simulator will come online in October, with a Pilatus PC-24 scheduled for the second half of 2026.
Like its sister centres at Burgess Hill in the UK and Dubai, CAE Vienna will deliver both initial and recurrent type-rating training, approved for multiple authorities worldwide.
