Flight scheduling software: what to look for in 2025
The flight training market is growing in2025, creating many opportunities for flight schools. However, schools also face challenges in keeping up with demand. To stay competitive, they need to focus on efficiency and use the right tools, like flight scheduling software. So,what features should they look for in 2025?
Flight schools are entering an exciting period of opportunity. Leading market research tells us that pilot hiring will pick up again in 2025. The global pilot training sector is expected to see significant growth, with the global market anticipated to increase from $8.09 billion in 2023 to $20.02 billion by 2030. In fact, pilot hiring increased a lot in 2022 and 2023 but slowed down in 2024. In 2025, hiring is expected to become more stable and return to pre-pandemic levels.
Challenges of aviation growth
Of course, this opens up more opportunities for flight training schools, as pilot training programs are in high demand again. But next to opportunities, there are challenges. Several trends are impacting this growth:
· Pilot hiring is slowing down due to ongoing problems in the global supply chain, especially in aviation. Several manufacturers have reported they are struggling to increase production due to shortages of important parts like electronics, interiors, and engines. These delays mean fewer new planes are ready to fly, so airlines have slowed hiring, using their current staff and adjusting flight schedules instead.
· Even though demand for air travel is high, airlines are facing problems like staffing shortages, maintenance delays, and air traffic control issues. These challenges have made it harder to keep flight schedules running smoothly. As a result, many airlines are focusing on fixing current operations instead of hiring more staff. Also, many pilots hired in 2023 are still training or gaining experience, which reduces the need for new hires right now.
· Even though airlines are hiring, bringing new pilots into the workforce has been slower than expected because of training delays. During the pandemic, many flight schools had to pause or cut back their programs, which slowed the flow of new pilots into the industry. Now, many pilots are still completing their flight hours and training, so there aren’t enough qualified candidates to meet airline demand.This gap between ready pilots and needed pilots is slowing the hiring process, even though the overall demand for pilots is still high.
An exercise in efficiency
With the challenges of limited resources in mind, flight schools will need to focus on operational efficiency to attract more new pilots and drive growth in 2025. To achieve this, they will need to leverage tools and strategies that improve operational efficiency and attract aspiring pilots.
As the flight training market expands, a key tool for success will be robust, adaptable, and feature-rich flight scheduling software. This will not only help manage the increasing demand but also streamline operations for greater efficiency.
Ideally, a flight scheduling software should help flight schools to:
· Increase the effectiveness and success rate of training
· Improve flight training scheduling
· Maximize capacity, and balance the availability of aircraft, students and instructors
With such software, flight schools can optimize resource allocation and accommodate the growing demand for pilot training with greater efficiency and flexibility.
Flight scheduling software: the features you need in 2025
So, for flight schools looking for a flight scheduling software solution in 2025, what are the essential features and functionalities they need to consider?
1. A unified view of flight school operations
If we had to pick one feature that stands out, it’s this one. The value of having a centralized data platform that connects and integrates different applications cannot be overrated. Today, it’s possible to centralize flight scheduling, student progress and records, maintenance logs, instructor performance, safety and compliance documentation, and accounting all in one view.
For flight school administrators, a unified operational view offers huge operational advantages. An integrated system eliminates the need for redundant data entry, it reduces the chance of manual errors, and users only need to master one system instead of multiple applications, which shortens the learning process.
2. Customizability
Customizability is essential for flight schools because each school operates under unique circumstances, including differentsizes, training programs, locations, and regulatory environments. Customizable systems allow schools to adapt software to their specific workflows for scheduling, training, billing, and maintenance.
A customizable system also enables you to adapt as you grow. As your business expands, its requirements will change. Customizability allows the software to evolve, for example by supporting additional aircraft, instructors, students, or even multiple locations without needing a complete system overhaul.
3. Improved, mobile user experience
A mobile user experience is essential for flight schools using flight scheduling software. Flight instructors, students, and staff are often on the go. A mobile-friendly system allows them to access schedules, update bookings, or check availability anytime, anywhere, which is crucial for managing dynamic schedules.
Mobile access also streamlines time management, enabling users to quickly make adjustments or check information without needing to log into a computer. This is especially valuable in an industry where time is crucial, and flight schedules can change quickly.
Last but not least, a smooth mobile experience is more attractive for students. It makes booking lessons, tracking their flight hours, and managing their training progress more user-friendly, improving satisfaction and engagement with the school.
4. AI-readiness
It's not a question of whether AI will be integrated into flight scheduling software, but when. Few people had predicted the surge AI has taken over the past few months in various business domains, including healthcare, finance, manufacturing and e-commerce. There’s no reason to think that aviation will fall behind.
For flight schools, AI could automate tasks like scheduling optimization or aircraft utilization. It could offer predictive analytics to forecast maintenance needs, anticipate demand surges, or identify struggling students early.
Even if a system doesn’t currently include AI features, preparing for AI makes good sense. Designing a system for seamless AI integration ensures that you can adopt these innovations in the future without having to overhaul your entire infrastructure.
So, how can you prepare for AI? For one, by ensuring that your underlying data, infrastructure, and processes are optimized for future integration. AI models rely on high-quality data, meaning data should be readily available, clean, consistent and well-structured. If a system isn’t managing data effectively, AI tools won’t work properly or they could produce unreliable outputs. Again, it is crucial that data is centralized in one location and not dispersed across multiple, unconnected systems.
Preparing data today makes sure your system will be able to support AI applications tomorrow. At a minimum, your flight scheduling software should:
· Ensure data is entered uniformly (e.g., consistent formats for dates, times, and names).
· Consolidate data from disparate systems into a single repository.
· Offer a degree of modularity to make it easier for AI to be integrated without disrupting the system’s core functionality.
5. Data analytics and reporting
In 2025, flight schools will need to adapt to the increasing demand for efficient operations. Flight scheduling software with integrated data analytics and reporting allows schools to track key metrics such as flight hours, instructor availability, and student progress. This data enables informed decisions on resource allocation, identifying peak times, and optimizing schedules to maximize revenue.
Additionally, detailed reports can help flight schools work more efficiently, track trends, and follow regulations. By using this information, flight schools can improve their operations, provide better experiences for students, and grow in a sustainable way.
Preparing for growth: the key role of flight scheduling software in 2025
As the flight training market continues to grow, flight schools need to stay ahead of the curve by adopting the right tools and strategies to maximize efficiency and meet increasing demand. Flight scheduling software with advanced features such as customizability, mobile user experience, and integrated data analytics will be essential for schools aiming to streamline operations and attract new pilots.
To thrive in 2025 and beyond, flight schools should prioritize selecting software that not only meets current needs but is adaptable for future growth. Now is the time to invest in the right technology:make sure your flight school is prepared for the exciting opportunities ahead.
If you like to see how Aviatize is ready for you and your goals in 2025 and beyond, request a personalized, live demo .
Sources:
https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/pilot-training-market-10948
https://stratus.finance/pilot-hiring-trends-what-flight-school-students-should-know
https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/press-releases/pilot-training-market
