Maintenance staff shortage could clip aviation industry's wings

New York: The United States is grappling with a shortage of maintenance workers in the aviation industry, with baby boomers retiring and others changi...

New York: The United States is grappling with a shortage of maintenance workers in the aviation industry, with baby boomers retiring and others changing jobs during the pandemic.

This comes as the global fleet of commercial aircraft is set to balloon a third by 2034, involving more than 36,400 vessels, according to a recent study by consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

In its wake, spending in the maintenance, repair and overhaul market is projected to grow almost 20 percent by 2034.

But the sector suffers from a shortfall of qualified manpower -- and an inadequate pipeline of talent.

It lacks some 24,000 aviation maintenance technicians in North America, a figure due to reach nearly 40,000 by 2028, Oliver Wyman notes.