Shaping the Future of Aviation’s Workforce: Key Strategies and Insights

Current workforce landscape in aviation

According to the Air Transport Action Group Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders 2020 report, aviation accounts for 11.3 million jobs worldwide. Many of these jobs have a direct impact on air safety and operations. Outside of this, aviation indirectly sustains over 18 million additional jobs via the air transport industry’s purchase of goods and services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the aviation labor market, leading to a 43% contraction and a loss of approximately 4.8 million jobs.

Understanding aviation careers and labor shortages

Labor shortages continue to affect the aviation industry even after the pandemic. Key factors include demographic shift, evolving expectations of the workforce, environmental concerns, job security issues, and cultural influences. These changes have altered the perceptions of aviation careers, posing challenges in attracting and retaining talent.

While roles such as pilots, air traffic controllers, and engineers are well-known and sought after, they require substantial training and investment. Equally important, though often undervalued, are positions like check-in agents, gate agents, baggage handlers, ground operations agents, and airfield maintenance personnel. These roles, which vary in training requirements and compensation, are crucial to the airport industry’s operation and need for increased recognition.

Driving change in aviation: creating an attractive workplace for aerospace professionals

Historically, aviation jobs were considered glamorous, offering travel perks and a comfortable work environment. However, industry changes—including rapid growth, economic pressures, pandemic impacts, and sustainability challenges—have altered this reality. To attract and retain top talent, the aviation industry must enhance its value proposition by offering competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and fostering a supportive workplace culture that emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The importance of collaboration in workforce development

The aviation industry is a complex ecosystem that includes a wide range of stakeholders. Solutions to address the workforce challenges cannot be tackled individually and inevitably require collaborative efforts between industry and government bodies.

The Global Aviation and Aerospace Skills Taskforce—a joint initiative by the UK Department for Transport, ACI World, International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA), and International Air Transport Association (IATA)—aims to tackle these challenges. This taskforce focuses on developing strategies to create an appealing work environment, enhance industry value propositions, and support the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Program.

The primary goal of this group is to develop rapid solutions that make the aviation and aerospace industries more attractive to workers, the work program includes:

• Developing a new industry value proposition: Crafting compelling reasons for professionals to join and stay in the aviation sector.
• Cataloguing and sharing outreach programs: Highlighting successful attraction and recruitment strategies.
• Retention and development strategies: Implementing effective practices to retain and grow talent within the industry.
• Vision for the ideal workplace environment and culture: Defining what the future of work should look like in aviation.
• Future work perspectives: Anticipating and preparing for upcoming changes in the industry.

The outcomes of this work program will be submitted to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in support of the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Program during the 42^nd ICAO Assembly in 2025.

This initiative brings together a Steering Group including the UK Department for Transport, CAA South Africa, the FAA, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, ANAC Brazil, GCAA UAE, as well as ACI World, ICCAIA, IATA, TIACA, ASA and CANSO.  Over 70 organizations and more than 100 experts are actively participating across the Taskforce’s five workstreams. For further information or to participate contact secretariat@gaast.aero 

Future directions for aviation workforce sustainability

To secure long-term sustainability of the aviation and aerospace industry, there is a need to reshape the sectors value proposition to potential workers. This includes more than just refining external messaging; it requires significant actions, including making fundamental changes to workplace culture and work environment, promotion of diversity and inclusion, rethinking reward and compensation structures, and creating clear pathways for skill development, staff growth, and mobility.  

Collaboration among industry stakeholders remains critical to addressing the current and future challenges while driving sustainable growth. The Global Aviation and Aerospace Skills Taskforce exemplifies this collaborative approach, aiming to develop tangible solutions to meet future workforce needs and skill development across the sector.

Further reading and resources

In 2022, ACI World published a White Paper on the Evolution of the Airport Workforce. This document served as the basis for much of the scene setting discussions with the UK Department for Transport, ICCAIA and IATA in the establishment of the Global Aviation and Aerospace Skills Taskforce.

It was also used as a basis for a Working Paper (A41-WP/354) presented to the 41st ICAO General Assembly on Attracting and Developing the Aviation Ecosystem’s Workforce to Ensure the Industry’s Long-term Sustainability and Resilience

More recently, ACI World and the Airport Services Association joined forces to publish a second White Paper focusing on Building a Resilient Future Workforce at Airports: Attraction and Retention Strategies for the Airport and Ground Handling Ecosystem Stakeholders. This paper, which is a collaboration between the two organizations, addresses the core topics of attraction and retention of workers, with a focus on communication, the work environment, employer engagement, training, and social dialogue.