An industry forecast that nearly half a million new airline pilots will be needed worldwide over the next 20 years as airlines expand their fleets has raised safety concerns that airlines will hire lower calibre pilots as they struggle to fill slots.

Boeing, one of the world's largest makers of commercial jetliners, forecasts about 465 000 new pilots will be needed worldwide between now and 2031 as global economies expand and airlines take delivery of tens of thousands of new commercial jetliners. The forecast includes 69 000 new pilots in North America, mostly in the US. The greatest growth will be in the Asia-Pacific region, where an estimated 185 600 new pilots will be needed.

Likewise, Boeing predicts 601 000 new aircraft maintenance technicians will be needed over the same period, with greatest demand - 243 500 technicians - in the Asia-Pacific region. An estimated 92 500 new technicians will North America.

The rising global demand for airline pilots has raised concern among industry and government officials that there will be a global and a domestic pilot shortage.

"In many regions of the world, a pilot shortage is already here," the Boeing forecast said. "Asia Pacific in particular is experiencing delays and operational interruptions due to pilot scheduling constraints."

That's particularly true in China and India, industry officials said. Airlines based in Asia and the Middle East have been holding pilot job fairs in the US and thousands of pilots laid off due to US airline bankruptcies and mergers are now flying for foreign carriers.

Sapa