Within the first week in office, the US government has issued a record number of immediate executive orders, amongst them orders tackling the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and programmes in the government. Globally, organisations, the press and governance bodies have started the discussion about their own stand on the matter.
The aviation and aerospace industries are facing a lack of qualified staff and the outlook on future staffing is not brighter. During the COVID-19-pandemic our sector laid off a significant number of people and most of these workers have not come back. On top of this, in many countries the baby boomer generation is entering retirement. Decades of operational experience were already disappearing and these qualified people are deeply missed in operations and maintenance.
A global problem
This trend is not only affecting the civil part of the aerospace industry but also the military. There is an increased competition for staff – while a good cooperation and career swapping between civ-mil aviation segments would be the ideal situation. Consultancy Oliver Wyman pointed in their Davos 2025 recap, this is a cross-sector, global issue, as societies’ age structures are inverting and half the world’s major economies face shrinking workforces. It is fair to conclude that we are in the midst of a global war for talent. In particular for talent with STEM qualification.
Engaging the younger generation into aviation has proven difficult. Why work in an industry with the image of polluting the environment with each flight? Why to work in a sector suffering regular crisis and why to commit in shift work, often required too?
Many reasons to join
To look on the bright side, some thoughts for attracting talent into our industry:
- Aviation is connecting people, aviation enables global businesses and efficient supply chains.
- Aviation is one of very few industries essential for all economies, globally.
- Unprecedented amounts are invested for sustainability and innovation of the aviation industry, for energy efficient aircraft, new engine systems, alternative fuels and flight procedures.
- Digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) enable new ways of air traffic management (ATM) and procedures and support sustainability efforts.
- The latest market entrants – uncrewed vehicles, eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in general – will change the way we fly and we travel.
Other industries are fishing in the same pond
To develop, implement and operate the new technologies our sector will need enough qualified, highly skilled staff. We are facing a global lack of air traffic controllers – simply hiring and re-training from another region is no solution. Other sectors, such as IT/Tech, energy, supply chain management or automotive are facing the same problem and are fishing in the same pond for the brightest minds and best talent. How to attract the future generation of professionals. And afterwards to retain them.
What is the link to DEI “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”? DEI is currently thrown under the bus by a political agenda. I will not comment here on national politics. However, I am convinced that the need for our industry to attract the brightest minds, to promote attractive careers and to provide an inclusive working place for all is as important as ever. Aviation delivers for all people so we can not exclude around 50 % of the population from career perspectives in aviation nor per se any other group.
Diverse teams deliver better performance
I can only encourage the leadership teams to stay firm in their agendas. By embracing diversity, companies are expanding their talent pool and making themselves more attractive to people from different parts of the communities. Diverse teams deliver better performance, this is proven independently by many studies.
Most recently, on 6 January 2025, EUROCONTROL has published the DEI Toolkit, elaborated by a team of ATM stakeholders including ANSPs and NGOs. This DEI Toolkit is providing working material to support ANSPs and other companies in their activities to attract and retain talent beyond the “traditional, white, male”. Organisations which are very advanced, like Skyguide or LVNL, are showcasing best practices every day. Organisations rather at the starting edge of diverse talent management can use the DEI Toolkit, ANSPs are invited to work within CANSO on DEI and participate in its Tomorrow´s Voices activities.
No time to lose in the talent acquisition
The aviation and aerospace sectors need to act. Without any doubt, other industries will double down with salaries and career opportunities, given that companies world-wide are facing the global war for talent.
Aviation growth is dependent on our innovation capabilities, continuous performance improvements and environmental sustainability. We need sufficient qualified, certified staff to maintain the high level of safety in aviation. So we have no time to lose in the actual talent acquisition and the retention activities, whatever political narrative tries to dominate the agenda for the moment.
