July/August - 10

AIRPORT GURU
AUTHOR Curt Castagna
Tapping Military Veterans
To Fill the Labor Gap
IT'S NO secret the pandemic caused a major disruption
in America's labor force. According to the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, more than 50 million workers quit their
jobs in 2022 - many of whom were seeking increased
work-life balance, flexibility and compensation.
Technician Education Council, dedicated
to promoting and supporting
technician education, reports that an
increase in newly certified aircraft
mechanics last year did not offset
the loss of significant talent during
the pandemic. It predicts the aircraft
mechanic pipeline in the U.S. will
need to increase by at least 20% to
meet projected workforce demand.
The aviation industry also continues
to struggle with a significant
pilot shortage. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics estimates there will
be 18,000 openings per year for commercial
pilots this decade, with many
of those replacing retirees. However,
the number of commercial pilot certificates
issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration totaled only 13,715 in
2022 and 12,771 in 2021 - indicating
an ongoing labor shortfall.
Are military veterans transitioning
Line service personnel prepare aircraft for towing.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION
The latest 2023 data shows there
would be 1.95 million more workers
today if labor force participation was
the same as in February 2020. The
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CURT CASTAGNA
Curt Castagna, president and CEO
of Aeroplex Group Partners, is also
president and CEO of the National
Air Transportation Association,
the immediate past chair of the Los
Angeles County Airport Commission,
and president of the Van Nuys and Long
Beach airport associations. A certified
private and instrument-rated pilot, he
continues to instruct courses in aviation
administration at Cypress Community
College and Cal State Los Angeles.
current labor force participation
rate is 62.6%, which means there
are 1.95 million fewer workers in
the labor force compared to before
the pandemic.
While thousands of people are
entering the workforce, there are still
over 10 million open jobs. Currently,
there are 75 workers for every 100 open
jobs in the U.S. This means every state
is facing an unprecedented challenge
to recruit, hire and retain qualified
workers. What does this mean for the
general aviation industry?
Across the nation, aircraft mechanics
and pilots are retiring faster than
they can be replaced. The Aviation
10 \ AIRPORT BUSINESS / JULY/AUGUST 2023
to civilian life the answer to general
aviation's workforce shortage? The
latest federal data indicates that of
the approximately 9 million veterans
employed across the U.S. economy
in 2022, 7.6% (about 650,000) were
in occupations directly involving
transportation.
That occupational choice is a significantly
greater share than for the
employed non-veteran population, of
whom only 5% were involved in transportation
occupations. Overall, about
one in every 12 veterans chose to work
in the transportation sector - helping to
support a critical military-to-civilian
aviation career pipeline.
Notably, there are fewer people
today using the military as a pathway
to the cockpit, which has decreased
the flow of veterans entering civil and
commercial aviation. This makes it
more important than ever for airport
businesses to cast a wider net and
July/August

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