Aviation exploring future of workforce

IN AN ERA of unprecedented technological advancements, aviation leaders convened at the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Global Summit at the ICC in Durban this week, where a panel of experts explored the future of the workforce in the aviation industry.

- KAREN SINGH

ICAO forecasts suggest that by 2037, over 665 000 aircraft maintenance technicians, 554 000 pilots, 92 2000 cabin crew members, and 106 000 air traffic controllers will be needed.

Christian Schleifer, Austria’s representative on the ICAO Council, moderated a panel discussion titled “The future of work in aviation: Adapting to the industry transformation”.

Schleifer emphasised the necessity of adapting to industry changes to achieve ICAO's 2050 vision of CO2 neutrality and zero fatalities, while ensuring no country or potential is left behind.

He said there was an immediate need for the industry to leverage the computational power and performance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to augment, rather than replace, human capabilities or safety solutions.

In aviation automation, he said the goal was to maximise efficiency by providing pilots with timely and accurate information, enabling them to make optimal decisions.

“The future of work in aviation will be more interdisciplinary, more collaborative and more digitally driven than ever before, but it will also demand human skills, adaptability, curiosity and the courage to challenge the status quo,” said Schleifer.

He posed the question: What is the most critical shift — cultural, structural or regulatory — that must occur to truly enable the workforce and workplace to adapt to the impending transformation?