Our latest white paper, "Training at a Turning Point: What's Changing for Airport Professionals and Why It Matters," examines the converging pressures that are fundamentally changing how airports approach professional development. The paper draws on data and insights from the Online Learning Centre, ACI, ICAO, IATA, Boeing, Airbus, PwC, McKinsey, and other leading sources to map five forces that, taken together, represent a structural turning point for the industry.
Here is a summary of what the research found and why it matters for airport leaders planning their workforce strategies for the years ahead.
When the pandemic grounded classroom training overnight, the airport sector pivoted to online delivery out of necessity. What has happened since is that the shift has stuck, and for reasons that go well beyond crisis response. IATA's 2021 Aviation Workforce Skills and Training Report found that 85 percent of aviation HR leaders said online learning would play an important role in recovery.
The financial case is compelling: industry analysis shows e-learning can reduce training-related costs by up to 80 percent compared to traditional classroom models. For airports operating across shifts and sites, the ability to deliver consistent training without pulling everyone into a room at the same time has changed the economics of professional development permanently.
The compliance-only model of airport training is reaching its limits. When training is designed solely to meet minimum regulatory standards, it fails to contribute to retention, engagement, or workforce stability.
McKinsey research found that one-third of workers who left during the Great Resignation cited lack of career development as a primary reason.
ACI World's 2025 Workforce Management Report found that airports embedding growth pathways into the employee experience significantly improve retention and operational resilience.
The most progressive airports are treating training as a strategic investment in people, not just a regulatory checkbox.
Cybersecurity, sustainability, and digital transformation (including AI literacy) have all entered airport training curricula within the past five years.
The SITA 2024 IT Insights report found that 76 percent of airlines and airports rank cybersecurity as a top priority. TSA introduced new cybersecurity directives in 2023. Sustainability reporting and net-zero commitments are creating demand for environmental capability across operational roles.
The skill set required of an airport professional today is materially different from what was expected even recently, and the pace of change shows no sign of slowing.
ICAO formalized the expansion of competency-based training and assessment through Amendment 7 to its PANS-TRG procedures. The shift prioritizes demonstrated performance over hours completed.
Canada's aviation micro-credentialing pilot, funded with $1.4 million from the Future Skills Centre, achieved 85 percent satisfaction and 94 percent of participants wanted to continue learning through digital platforms. Stackable credentials and flexible learning pathways are gaining ground because they align with how modern professionals want to develop: incrementally, flexibly, and with visible recognition along the way.
Gen Z will comprise 30 percent of the global workforce by 2030, yet PwC found that only 7 percent of current aerospace and defense employees are under 25. At the other end, Europe faces the retirement of 44 percent of its aerospace workforce by 2030, according to GAAST.
Airports must simultaneously attract a generation with different expectations while capturing and transferring the knowledge of departing professionals. Static training models and seniority-based progression are increasingly misaligned with both needs.
These five forces do not operate in isolation. Together, they demand a more deliberate, strategic approach to how airports invest in their people. Download the full white paper for access to all the findings and a practical training maturity framework to help airport leaders assess where they stand and plan a path forward.