A record number of students have enrolled in the University of Dubuque’s aviation program due to the need for pilots

Dubuque, Iowa – The director of the University of Dubuque’s aviation program reports that the program is enrolling record numbers of new students, indicating an increasing need for new pilots.

According to a Boeing report, which Randy Warm, Director of Aviation Programs at the University of Dubuque, cited, the aviation sector worldwide will require the hiring of almost 600,000 additional pilots by 2037. Such growth is therefore necessary.

“If you put all of the aviation flight schools together, there’s a big bulk of generations like me who are retiring or close to retiring in the pilot world,” Warm said. “We are not even close to having enough people to fill those roles.”

According to Warm, two of the primary reasons for the rising demand for pilots are the federal government’s mandate that commercial pilots retire at the age of 65 and the expansion of air service.

This year’s 126 new students at the University of Dubuque represent the institution’s largest-ever incoming cohort of aviation students, following the graduation of 55 pilots from the school’s previous year.

The Air Line Pilots Association acknowledges the necessity for a strong pilot pipeline but contests the notion of a nationwide pilot shortage.