IFA Launches Industry Wide Aviation Survey as Airworthiness Challenges Threaten Industry Growth
With global air travel set to more than double and airlines requiring over 700,000 new maintenance technicians worldwide, the International Federation of Airworthiness calls for industry action and not just more discussion.
Take the survey here: https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/FqC4FM
As the International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) celebrates its 50th anniversary year, the organisation today launches a major aviation industry survey aimed at identifying the most critical challenges facing airworthiness, safety and engineering capability over the coming decade and, crucially, the actions needed to address them.
The survey will gather views from across the global aviation and aerospace community including airlines, manufacturers, regulators, maintenance organisations, design organisations, academia and technology providers. Its findings will form the foundation of discussions at the IFA Airworthiness Summit being held in September, where senior aviation leaders will meet to agree a practical programme for industry action.
While aviation demand continues to grow strongly, the industry faces unprecedented challenges. Boeing forecasts that global passenger traffic will more than double over the next twenty years, while the industry will require approximately 710,000 new maintenance technicians worldwide to support future operations. At the same time, aircraft fleets are expected to nearly double in size.
However, recent industry evidence suggests that the capability required to ensure continued airworthiness and therefore aircraft in the air may not be keeping pace with that growth. The Royal Aeronautical Society’s latest research highlights ageing engineering populations, declining numbers of licensed engineers, insufficient training capacity, skills shortages, increasing technological complexity and growing concerns around knowledge retention.
Hazel Courteney, President of the International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA), said: “For 50 years, the IFA has championed airworthiness, safety and professional standards. As we look towards the next 50 years, we see that our industry faces a pivotal moment. The world is changing, aviation is growing, aircraft are becoming more complex . The industry has become very good at discussing these issues, but the challenges are unlikely to be solved by single organisation working alone. What we now need is collective agreement on priorities, with a central focus for ownership and delivery. This survey is designed to help us collectively agree our priorities so that we can begin building practical solutions.”
The survey has been designed following extensive debate during the IFA’s 2025 John Saull Memorial Event, where industry professionals identified a series of interconnected challenges affecting future airworthiness. These included workforce shortages, AI governance, software assurance, human factors, safety culture, information sharing, regulatory effectiveness, emerging technologies and supply-chain resilience. Participants repeatedly highlighted the need for greater collaboration and a move from reactive discussion towards coordinated action.
A particular focus of the survey is understanding the relationships between challenges rather than viewing them in isolation. Previous discussions have shown that workforce capability, organisational culture, education, leadership, technology adoption and regulation are closely linked, with weaknesses in one area often creating risks in another.
Findings from the survey will be presented during the IFA Airworthiness Summit in September 2026, bringing together a select group of senior industry leaders, regulators and government representatives to establish a focused and measurable programme of activity for the years ahead.
As aviation enters a period of significant expansion and transformation, the IFA believes that ensuring the future availability of skilled people, robust airworthiness systems and effective industry collaboration is fundamental to maintaining the highest levels of safety and operational performance.
Participate in the Survey
The survey is open to all aviation and aerospace professionals and organisations.
Survey link: https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/FqC4FM
Closing date: 16 August 2026
About the International Federation of Airworthiness
Founded in 1976, the International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. The Federation exists to promote airworthiness, safety, technical competence and professional development across the global aviation community, bringing together industry professionals, organisations and regulators to support safer and more effective aviation systems worldwide.
Media Contact:
Helen Webb, Helen Webb Aviation Limited
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07747 023044
Published: 15 July 2026
