Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would increase annual funding for pilot development and mechanic development grants and provide grants for aviation manufacturing workforce development.
The Aviation Workforce Development Enhancement Act would expand the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Aviation Workforce Development Grant program.
In the United States, aerospace employment is 8.4 percent below pre-pandemic levels, according to Reuters.
In addition, the aviation industry is experiencing a shortage of as many as 8,000 pilots, approximately 11 percent of the total workforce, according to CNBC, citing an estimate from consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The firm estimates the shortage could reach 30,000 pilots by 2025.
In 2020, the FAA issued 30 percent fewer airplane mechanic certificates than the previous year, according to Crain’s Chicago Business, while new certificates increased in 2021, but demand for airplane mechanics outstripped supply.
As of 2018, half of FAA-certified mechanics and repair technicians were older than 50, according to a 2020 U.S. General Accounting Office study.
U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Gerald Moran (R-KS) introduced the bill.
“As a pilot, I know that investing in aviation-focused workforce development programs helps attract and retain the best talent and keeps our nation at the forefront of global aviation innovation,” Duckworth said. “With our nation’s aviation workforce hard hit by the pandemic.”