Are you ready to fly? Middle East needs 60,000 new pilots

World is set for surging travel demand and a $5.6 trillion jet shopping spree according to Boeing.

A pilot in the cockpit of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Dubai International Airport. Jeff Topping / The National

The Middle East will need more than 6,000 pilots and technicians each year over the next two decades, according to a new report from Boeing.

The aircraft maker estimates that the world will need 558,000 new pilots and 609,000 maintenance technicians for commercial airlines over the coming 20 years as carriers add 38,000 aircraft to the global fleet.

The Middle East region will need 60,000 new pilots and 66,000 technicians in the same period, a total rate of about 6,300 each year, according to Boeing’s 2015 Pilot and Technician Outlook.

Although the region’s three biggest carriers have dominated new hiring in recent years, led by Emirates, the focus will increasingly shift to Asia.

Boeing says that the Asia-Pacific region will need 226,000 new pilots and 238,000 technicians through 2034.

Such demand is creating pressure on airlines and manufacturers to keep pace.

“The challenge of meeting the global demand for airline professionals will not be solved by one company alone,” said Sherry Carbary, a vice president at Boeing Flight Services.

“Aircraft manufacturers, airlines, training equipment manufacturers, training delivery organisations, regulatory agencies and educational institutions are all stepping up to meet the increasing need to train and certify pilots and technicians.”

Etihad and Emirates are adding thousands of new staff each as they expand their route networks and increase flight frequencies.

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