Aviation News

Bombardier announced plans to hire 800 people across the U.S. and invest an estimated $270 million in new service capacity, from a new Fort Wayne service center to expansions in Texas and Connecticut. That’s good news for business aviation, and a new hiring challenge for every charter operator and flight department competing for the same experienced technicians. Here’s what it means for your next hire, or your next move.

Business aviation compensation rose an estimated 8% in 2026, more than twice the pace of the broader U.S. workforce, and flight department leaders now name pay and benefits as their top workforce concern. Here’s what the new numbers mean for operators trying to hire and keep good people, and for the pilots and technicians weighing their next offer.

Aviation needs 2.44 million new pilots, technicians, and cabin crew over the next two decades, and AI is arriving in maintenance hangars, crew scheduling, and air traffic control at the same time. But regulators, lawmakers, and industry leaders keep landing on the same answer: humans stay in command. Here’s how AI is changing aviation jobs, why it won’t solve the people shortage, and the human skills operators should be hiring for now.

On September 29, the FAA rescinded single-pilot exemptions for legacy Cessna Citations, including the Citation II, V, Ultra, Bravo, and Encore. Pilots who flew these jets solo under an exemption endorsement now need a qualified second-in-command on every flight. Here’s what changed, where the industry pushback stands, and what owners, flight departments, and pilots should do now.

A new survey finds 59% of full-time U.S. workers would take a pay cut for a job that AI can’t replace, and pilots and aircraft mechanics rank among the careers they trust most. At the same time, flight instructor numbers are up 30% and experience-based A&P certificates jumped 21% last year. Career changers are becoming one of aviation’s most important talent pools. Here’s what that means for charter operators, flight departments, and anyone thinking about making the move.

Airbus says the industry will need more than 2.44 million new pilots, maintenance technicians, and cabin crew over the next 20 years, and Boeing’s numbers line up almost exactly. Those forecasts don’t even count business aviation. Here’s what the long-term hiring gap means for charter operators and flight departments, and why it’s good news for aviation professionals.

Business aviation just had its busiest summer on record, and 81% of operators say their crew headcount is already stretched thin. With the holiday charter rush about ten weeks out and the airlines hiring again, here’s how charter operators and flight departments can staff for peak season, and what pilots and technicians should know before December.

After a quiet spring, major airline pilot hiring jumped in August, and 2026 has already matched all of 2025. With Delta, United, and American pointing to more hiring and retirements into 2027, the window business aviation has enjoyed this year is starting to narrow. Here’s what operators and pilots should do before the airlines’ next big push.

Every year, roughly 22,000 service members with aviation maintenance experience leave the military, yet the industry captures fewer than 1 in 10 of them. As Veterans Day approaches, here’s why military pilots and maintainers may be the best hire a charter operator or flight department can make, what changed with SkillBridge in 2026, and how to bring veterans on board the right way.

Every year, about 3,000 U.S. airline pilots reach age 65 and must leave the Part 121 flight deck. Efforts to raise that limit have stalled, but Part 91 and Part 135 flying doesn’t have the same cap. For charter operators and corporate flight departments, these veteran captains may be the most experienced talent pool in aviation. Here’s what operators and pilots should know.