Pilot shortages deepen as high costs and aging workforce strain U.S. aviation
Writer: Mirella Franzese
May 2025 — The U.S. pilot shortage continues to disrupt air travel, as soaring costs and steep entry barriers discourage new aviators from entering the field.
“In the 1980s and earlier, being a pilot was seen as prestigious and ‘cool’,” Maureen DeFelice, CEO and executive director of the Order of the Daedalians, a professional U.S. military pilot authority based in San Antonio, told Invest:. “Today, it’s challenging to attract interest in aviation and military paths.”
Flight school tuition and the required 1,500 flight hours to obtain a pilot license serve as obstacles for up-and-coming aviators. Today, training expenses can easily surpass the $100,000 threshold, according to the Regional Airline Association, as cited by FLT Academy.
Over the next decade, demand for commercial and private aviators is expected to rise, outstripping available supply.
This shortfall will last until 2032 with a projected shortage of 17,000 commercial pilots – which represent current 2023 and 2024 levels –, according to forecasts from global consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The U.S. pilot shortage is expected to rise to its most critical level in 2026 with a workforce gap of 24,000 pilots.
However, industry research suggests it may narrow gradually as training capacity increases to meet demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall commercial and airline employment of pilots is projected to grow 5 percent from 2023 to 2033, with around 18,500 openings each year – resulting from the need to replace workers switching careers or retiring.
Boeing’s 2024 industry report estimates U.S. commercial carriers will need new 674,000 pilots through to 2043 in order to sustain the global commercial fleet.
Many pilots are also retiring as a greater portion of the industry workforce reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65, with more than 16,000 airline pilots expected to retire over the next five years — a figure which will reach 80,000 in the next 20 years.
To combat the lessened interest in aviation careers and persistent shortages, U.S. flight schools, airports, and airlines are establishing pilot training pathways to bolster the workforce.
At Lakeland Linder International Airport in Tampa Bay, advanced flight simulation technology is used to expose young people to the wide variety of careers available in aviation.
“Our flight simulator gives young people a chance to experience what it’s like to fly a plane,” said Airport Director Kris Hallstrand to Invest:. “Over 8,000 children have now gone through the program, and it’s helped them imagine careers they might never have considered.”
“Whether they want to be pilots, work in airport operations, or contribute to aviation in other ways, we’re giving them the tools and inspiration to see that future,” added Hallstrand.
DeFelice also noted how technology has improved flight training methods, with a 92% success rate in the number of students earning pilot certificates. “Simulator training and AI are significant parts of the changes happening in aviation,” she added.
AI increases simulator realism by depicting real-world flying conditions more accurately, which include atmospheric weather patterns, air traffic, and emergencies, according to a recent report by the strategic market insights firm Precedence Research.
However, costs remain a major inhibitor, despite AI’s contributions in cutting down lead times and reducing the student learning curve — which is why financial support is the key to enlarging the pilot talent pool, according to DeFelice.
To that end, the Order of the Daedalians offers around 1,800 students academic scholarships and awards each year. “By offering substantial scholarships, we remove the burden of full-time work, allowing students to focus on their education. This support is a crucial piece of the puzzle during the early years,” said DeFelice.
In South Florida, a growing region for commercial and corporate travel, the Museum of Discovery & Science (MODS) in Greater Fort Lauderdale is supporting workforce development in the aviation industries by offering a two year-long, paid internship for high school students looking to gain practical experience. The internship, available to public school students from 10th to 12th grade in Broward County, includes the opportunity to earn a drone pilot license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Airlines and aviation manufacturers face shortages of technicians and pilots as well. MODS is committed to being part of the talent pipeline,” said Joe Cox, MODS’s executive director, in an interview with Invest:.
For more information, visit:
https://www.daedalians.org/about/
