Pilot vs Aircraft Engineer Shortages: Two Crises, Very Different Risks

Global aviation is facing dual workforce shortages — pilots and aircraft engineers — but while both are often grouped together, their causes, timelines, and operational risks are fundamentally different.

Understanding the distinction is critical for airlines, regulators, and aviation professionals planning their careers.

Pilot Shortage: A Capacity and Growth Challenge

What’s Driving It

• Fleet growth and record aircraft orders

• Mandatory retirements (especially widebody captains)

• Post-pandemic training backlogs

• Rapid expansion in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East

Time to Replace

• 2–4 years from zero hours to airline First Officer

• Upgrade to Captain: 5–10 years, airline-dependent

Mitigation Levers

Airlines can respond relatively quickly by:

• Expanding cadet programmes

• Increasing simulator capacity

• Accelerating upgrades

• Recruiting globally

As a result, pilot shortages tend to create schedule pressure rather than immediate safety or airworthiness risks.

Operational Impact

• Flight cancellations and reduced frequencies

• Increased pilot workload and fatigue risk

• Slower network growth

Aircraft can still fly — just less often.

Aircraft Engineer Shortage: A Structural and Safety Constraint

What’s Driving It

• Aging maintenance workforce nearing retirement

• Long and costly licensing pathways

• Insufficient apprenticeships and training pipelines

• Increasing aircraft technical complexity

• Competition between airlines, MROs, and lessors

Time to Replace

• 5–8+ years to produce a fully licensed, experienced engineer

• Type rating and authorisation adds further delays

This makes the engineer shortage far harder to reverse.

Mitigation Levers (Limited)

Options are far more constrained:

• Engineers cannot be “accelerated” safely

• Licensing is tightly regulated

• Experience cannot be simulated or fast-tracked

Technology helps with diagnostics — but certification and release to service remain human responsibilities.

Operational Impact

• Aircraft grounded (AOG)

• Delayed heavy maintenance

• Reduced dispatch reliability

• Long-term fleet utilisation constraints

Aircraft may be available — but legally unable to fly.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Why Engineers May Be the Bigger Long-Term Risk

While pilot shortages are highly visible, many industry leaders warn that engineer shortages are the silent bottleneck.

Key reasons:

• No engineer = no legal release to service

• One engineer shortage can ground multiple aircraft

• Retirements are imminent and irreversible

• Training pipelines take a decade to mature

In contrast, pilot shortages — while disruptive — are more elastic and responsive to investment.

Strategic Implications for Aviation

For airlines:

• Pilot hiring solves growth

• Engineer hiring preserves operational survival

For regulators:

• Licensing reform must preserve safety while improving access

For professionals:

• Pilots face more competition but faster entry

• Engineers face longer training but exceptional long-term security

Final Thought

The aviation industry can manage a pilot shortage.It cannot operate without engineers.

As global fleets expand and aircraft complexity increases, aircraft engineers are transitioning from a support function to a strategic pillar of aviation safety and continuity.

For the next decade, the question may not be “Do we have pilots?”But rather: “Do we have enough engineers to keep the aircraft flying?”