Airline Jobs - An Outlook To What The Next Few Years Will Bring To The Airline Industry
The following is an outlook on airline jobs over the next 8 years. It was taken from the US Dept of Labor's website. Their outlook for the airline industry is rosey with a projected 7% increase in salaries and positions. This will vary from year to year, with some years being in the negative numbers, however the overall outlook is positive. Please read the following exerpt for a bigger picture. This outlook is not just for pilots, but for all trades in the airline industry. Visit Our Aviation job search site to look for a job with the airlines
"Employment change. Wage and salary jobs in the air transportation industry are projected to increase by 7 percent over the 2006-16 period, compared with 11 percent for all industries combined. However, the number of airline job openings may vary from year to year, because the demand for air travel—particularly pleasure travel, a discretionary expense—fluctuates with ups and downs in the economy. In the long run, passenger and cargo traffic is expected to continue expanding in response to increases in population, income, and business activity. Job prospects will continue to be better in regional and low-cost carriers than in major airlines, where competition for many airline jobs is keen. Demographic and income trends indicate favorable conditions for leisure travel in the United States and abroad over the next decade. The aging of the population, in combination with growth of disposable income among older people, should continue to increase the demand for air transportation services. Also, business travel has and will continue to improve as the U.S. economy and world trade expand, companies continue to go global, and the economies in many foreign countries become more robust. However, as businesses also try to reduce costs, they are resorting to cheaper alternatives to flying and finding new ways to communicate. Many business travelers are using other means of transportation—for example, automobile or train—and are conducting more business by phone, e-mail, and better and lower-cost videoconferencing technologies." 
"International cargo traffic is expected to continue to increase with the economy and growing world trade. It also should be stimulated by the development of global electronic commerce and manufacturing trends such as just-in-time delivery, which requires materials to be shipped rapidly.
Other factors contributing to growth include the increase in international trade from open skies agreements—which set ground rules for international aviation markets and minimize government intervention—and the expanded use of all-cargo carriers by the U.S. Postal Service to transport mail. Growth of domestic air cargo traffic is not expected to increase as much as international cargo, primarily because of the increased use of mail and the rise of time-definite trucking. Increasingly, shipments will be sent via trucks, as opposed to aircraft, because trucks are reliable, can be monitored through Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and are more cost-effective. Employment growth will differ among the various occupations in the air transportation industry. Employment of aircraft pilots and flight engineers will continue to grow primarily because of increasing demand for leisure and business air travel, population growth, and an expanding economy."
Similar to other air transportation occupations, aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and service technicians should have their best chance for landing an airline job at smaller commuter and regional airlines, primarily because of the relatively lower wages. However, advances in technology are increasing productivity of mechanics, limiting job growth. Employment growth also will be sporadic and follow closely with changes in the economy. When the economy is slow, airlines reduce the number of flights, resulting in less demand for aircraft maintenance and, thus, less demand for mechanics. The number of reservation and transportation ticket agents will grow more slowly than the overall industry as airlines outsource jobs to lower-wage countries, such as India, in order to cut costs, and as more airlines phase out paper tickets and allow passengers to purchase electronic tickets over the Internet. However, the safety and security responsibilities of these airline jobs will continue to increase, thereby preventing job declines."
"Airline job opportunities in the air transportation industry are expected to vary depending on the occupation. Opportunities for aircraft pilots and flight engineers are expected to be best with the faster growing regional and low-cost carriers. College graduates and former military pilots can expect to have the best job prospects. Opportunities will continue to exist for those pilots who choose to work for air-cargo carriers because of the increase in global freight demand. Airline job opportunities for flight attendants will vary by setting. Competition for job opportunities at major airlines is expected to be keen because of the few jobs that are available. Opportunities are expected to be best with the faster growing regional and commuter, low-cost, and charter airlines. Airline job opportunities for flight attendants also will arise in the corporate jet sector, where flight attendants cater to a high-end clientele. Finally, turnover among flight attendants will produce additional job opportunities as many workers leave for occupations that offer more stable work schedules or better salaries."
Job opportunities at smaller airports are expected to be best as experienced mechanics transfer to positions at major airlines. Meanwhile, competition for mechanic jobs is expected to be keen at major airlines because of their relatively higher wages and travel benefits. Applicants who have experience and who keep abreast of the latest technological advances in electronics and composite materials should have the best opportunities.
"Competition for reservation and transportation ticket agent jobs will continue to be keen as the number of applicants continues to exceed the number of job openings. Entry requirements are few, and many people seeking to enter the travel business start in these types of jobs.
Also, people are attracted to this occupation because it provides excellent travel benefits. Some job opportunities will occur as agents transfer to other occupations or retire. Opportunities also are expected to be good for those seeking lesser skilled, entry-level positions, such as baggage handler and aircraft cleaner, because many workers leave these jobs and need to be replaced."
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"Job prospects generally are better in regional and low-cost carriers than in major airlines, where competition for many airline jobs is keen; a unique benefit—free or reduced-fare transportation for airline employees and their immediate families—attracts many jobseekers."
"Opportunities should be excellent for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and service technicians, reflecting the likelihood of fewer entrants from the military and a large number of retirements.
