Aviation Faces Critical Training Gap, Dublin Conference Told
The aviation industry is facing the “critical challenges” of replacing an entire generation of staff and coping with a doubling of capacity over the next 15 years, the Secretary General of ICAO, Raymond Benjamin has told a conference in Dublin.
The number of airline passengers carried annually will double to 6 billion by 2030 and the number of annual flights will grow to 60 million during the same period, Mr Benjamin said. “These are sobering numbers” given the workforce resources needed to operate these additional flights, he added.
Mr Benjamin was speaking in Malahide at the Global Aviation Training (GAT) Symposium, which is backed by ICAO, the UN body which sets global aviation standards, and hosted by the Dublin International Aviation Training Academy (DIATA), a subsidiary of daa that is becoming a significant player in aviation training.
Almost 400 delegates from 71 countries are attending the symposium, which is focussed on meeting the staffing and training requirements of the booming international aviation sector.
daa Chief Executive Kevin Toland told delegates the company was delighted to host the event via its DIATA subsidiary. “Through DIATA, daa is assisting ICAO and other agencies to deliver a significant improvement in aviation training programmes,” Mr Toland said.
“Ireland is a major global location for aviation leasing and we believe it also has the potential to become a significant base for international aviation training in the coming years,” according to Mr Toland. “DIATA intends to play a central role in that expansion by sharing the knowledge and skills built up through daa’s many decades of airport operations with our international colleagues.”
The doubling of aviation capacity over the next 15 years will coincide with a significant demographic challenge for the industry globally, according to Mr Benjamin said. “As the baby-boomer generation comes due for retirement, we are faced today with the challenge of replacing one generation of technical professionals with another, and this is not a simple task,” he added.
The aviation industry’s main priority during this period of growth will be “to maintain and improve the safety and security of air transport operations,” according to Mr Benjamin. He added this would have to be achieved without any negative impact on the efficiency and reliability of the global air transport system. Environmental considerations in relation to aircraft noise and emissions would also be significant factors in the coming years, Mr Benjamin said.
The symposium, which was opened by Mr Benjamin today, runs until Thursday when Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary will give the closing address, outlining his views on the future of air transport from the perspective of one of the world’s largest low cost carriers.
DIATA which offers training at its base on the Dublin Airport campus and internationally, works closely with key global aviation bodies such as, ICAO, Airports Council International and IATA. DIATA also operates strategic partnerships with local academic partners such as Dublin City University and the Institute of Technology, Carlow.
Faced with a potential shortage of skilled staff for the aviation sector, ICAO has launched a major initiative entitled the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) to ensure that there will be enough qualified and competent aviation staff available to operate, manage and safeguard the future of the global aviation industry.
The Global Aviation Training symposium is showcasing ICAO’s Trainair Plus Programme, which is the main tool used to develop and deliver training courses that meet ICAO’s specific compliance requirements. DIATA is currently a fully accredited ICAO Trainair Plus Gold Member and Gold Trainair Plus training centre, and was only the third airport training organisation in the world to be certified to this high level.
Further information:
Paul O’Kane, daa 353 1 8141897, 353 86 6090221