GOOSE Aviation Recruitment Market Update – Winter

Global demand is surging. Aviation talent supply isn’t keeping up.

As we head into 2026, the aviation jobs market remains one of the most competitive talent landscapes in the world. Airlines, operators, OEMs, lessors, airports, and MROs are all hiring from the same limited pool of skilled professionals.

At GOOSE, we’re speaking daily with aviation leaders and professionals across the globe. Here’s our view of what’s happening now, what’s coming next, and how employers and candidates can position themselves for success.

The current state of the aviation talent market

The numbers tell a clear story: the global commercial aviation sector is expected to need around 2.37 million new personnel by 2044, including approximately 660,000 pilots and 710,000 maintenance technicians.

Demand is high, and it’s rising sharply as:

Fleets expand, and new aircraft are delivered
Passenger numbers grow
Experienced staff retire or move into new roles

In practical terms, this means:

More open vacancies across flight operations, engineering, MRO, and management
Longer time-to-hire for critical roles
Increased reliance on specialist aviation recruitment partners and flexible workforce solutions

GOOSE supports aviation employers across permanent recruitment, technical contract recruitment, executive search, and workforce solutions such as RPO, Experts on Demand, and Employer of Record (EOR), all of which are increasingly being used to meet this demand.

Key hiring trends in aviation

Employers are having to work harder to attract and retain talent.

For roles where qualified personnel are particularly scarce, such as licensed technicians, experienced pilots, and avionics specialists, we’re seeing:

More competitive base salaries and allowances
Increased sign-on and retention bonuses
Greater flexibility (contract, part-time, roster patterns)
Improved benefits and well-being packages

Many aviation employers are also looking internally, upskilling and cross-training existing staff to fill gaps rather than relying solely on external hiring.

Digital and AI-powered hiring is becoming standard

Employers and their recruitment partners are increasingly adopting digital tools to manage high volumes and complex hiring needs, including:

AI-powered CV screening
Predictive workforce planning tools
Skills-based matching for specific aircraft types or regulatory requirements
Data analytics to improve time-to-hire and forecast upcoming gaps

GOOSE integrates these tools into our aviation recruitment and RPO solutions, helping clients move faster while maintaining a strong focus on the human touch, compliance, safety, and cultural fit.

Skills in demand, and how they’re evolving

Technical skills

Employers are prioritising:

Up-to-date regulatory and compliance knowledge
Strong safety management and risk awareness
Technical capability across multiple aircraft types or disciplines
Experience with new technologies and digital systems

Soft skills

Across roles, from cockpit to C-suite, we’re seeing rising demand for:

Adaptability in a fast-changing market
Continuous learning and willingness to retrain or reskill
Flexibility (geographical, roster, role responsibilities)
Strong communication and collaboration skills

Professionals who combine deep technical expertise with leadership, communication, and agility are best placed to progress into senior roles.

Shifting candidate expectations

Today’s aviation professionals are more selective. We’re consistently hearing that candidates expect:

Competitive and transparent compensation
Benefits that reflect the realities of aviation work (travel, relocation, irregular hours, family impact)
More focus on work–life balance, wherever operationally possible
Clear progression pathways and development opportunities

If your salary and benefits packages are not aligned with the market, or your progression plans aren’t clearly communicated, candidates will move swiftly to employers who offer this clarity.

This is where salary benchmarking and market insights from partners like GOOSE become invaluable. Our aviation salary surveys and benchmarking services support both employers and candidates to understand what “competitive” really looks like in each region and discipline.

The biggest aviation recruitment challenges, and how to respond

Intense competition for the same talent

Operators, airlines, MROs, and increasingly, non-aviation employers, are competing directly for the same skilled individuals. This drives:

Upward salary pressure
More counteroffers and “buy-backs”
Higher risk of burnout and turnover
Slow processes are losing candidates

A common theme we see when employers come to us for help is process delay. Hiring teams identify a strong candidate but:

Internal approvals take too long
Interview processes are lengthy or disjointed
Communication is slow or unclear

In a market this competitive, that almost guarantees candidate drop-out.

Practical recommendation: If you identify a relevant candidate, move quickly. Simplify your hiring steps, streamline approvals, and ensure clear, timely communication at every stage.

How GOOSE supports this

Through aviation RPO, project recruitment, and contract teams, GOOSE helps employers:

Reduce time-to-hire
Improve candidate engagement
Build talent pools in advance of demand
Secure complete technical teams for maintenance, modification, and line/base checks

Workforce planning: RPO, Contract Recruitment, and flexible models

Aviation employers are increasingly looking beyond traditional hiring and exploring flexible workforce solutions to manage volatility, growth, and regulatory complexity.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

We are seeing more airlines, operators, and MROs outsource all or part of their recruitment function to specialist partners. Aviation RPO can help you:

Scale hiring up or down quickly
Access sector-specific expertise and talent networks
Improve employer branding and candidate experience
Free up internal HR teams for strategic work

Contract Recruitment & Technical Teams

Contract recruitment is playing a key role in:

Supporting heavy maintenance seasons
Covering fleet introductions, lease transitions, and modifications
Managing peaks in operational demand

GOOSE supplies complete technical teams, from licensed engineers to support staff, offering flexibility, speed, and scalability.

Experts on Demand

For specialist projects that don’t justify a full-time hire, more organisations are turning to Experts on Demand:

Fractional and project-based specialists (e.g. SMS, compliance, safety, digital transformation, fleet strategy)
Fast access to niche skills without long-term fixed cost
Ideal for transformation programmes and new market entries

Employer of Record (EOR) for regional expansion

We are seeing rising demand for EOR services in aviation, particularly in regions such as the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, where labour laws can be complex.

By using an aviation-focused EOR, employers can:

Hire people quickly in new countries without incorporating a local entity
Ensure local compliance across payroll, tax, visas, and benefits
Reduce administrative burden and risk

GOOSE works with aviation clients to combine recruitment, EOR, and workforce planning so they can expand into new regions with confidence.

Senior & Executive hiring: what’s working now

For senior and executive roles in aviation, successful appointments typically hinge on:

Technical credibility – understanding the operational reality
Strong commercial acumen – from revenue and yield to cost control and asset strategy
Leadership and change management skills
Cultural fit with the organisation’s values and ambitions

The industry is undergoing rapid transformation in areas such as:

Digitisation and data
Sustainability and alternative fuels
Regulatory shifts
New business models

Leaders who can connect technical and commercial priorities, manage transformation, and inspire teams through change are the ones in highest demand.

GOOSE’s aviation executive search practice focuses specifically on this intersection of technical, commercial, and leadership capability, supporting boards and C-suites to make high-impact, low-risk appointments.

Looking ahead: aviation recruitment over the next 12 months

Over the coming year, we expect to see:

Continued talent shortages and sustained high demand across many aviation disciplines
Further adoption of flexible and hybrid workforce models, including contract, project-based, and fractional experts
More technology-driven recruitment, including automation, AI tools, and data-led decision-making
A stronger emphasis on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in hiring and promotion decisions
Emerging technologies – from advanced avionics and digital twins to sustainable aviation solutions – will continue to reshape the skills required, increasing the need for upskilling and reskilling at all levels.

Why aviation employers partner with GOOSE

From our vantage point, what makes GOOSE particularly effective for aviation employers is the combination of:

Deep aviation specialism: we live and breathe the sector
A high-quality global talent pool across pilots, engineering, operations, and leadership
Flexible service offerings: permanent recruitment, contract teams, RPO, executive search, Experts on Demand, and EOR
Regional market insight: labour laws, cultural nuances, and local salary expectations
Responsive, consultative service: advising on strategy as well as filling roles

By partnering with a specialist aviation recruitment business rather than a generalist agency or internal-only approach, clients typically benefit from:

Faster, higher-quality hires
Reduced hiring risk and fewer failed appointments
Better workforce planning and talent pipelines
Stronger operational continuity and competitive advantage

If you’re preparing for growth, facing hiring bottlenecks, or planning regional expansion in 2026, GOOSE can support you across aviation recruitment, workforce planning, and compliant global hiring solutions.

We’re always happy to share market insights, salary benchmarking data, and practical advice tailored to your part of the aviation industry.

GOOSE Aviation Recruitment Market Update – Winter Edition 2026