There's still a widespread shortage of workers in the industry, including pilots, flight attendants, airport workers, and air traffic controllers. Airline employment data from June 2023 shows higher numbers than June 2019, but the industry is still clamoring for more workers.

In 2023, the aviation industry continued to grapple with a significant staffing crisis that affected flight attendants, pilots, and ground crew alike. This shortage was largely a "hangover" effect from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which thousands of crew members took early retirement or left the industry due to furloughs. As travel demand surged back to record levels in 2023, airlines struggled to recruit and train new staff fast enough to keep up. The training process for flight attendants is rigorous—often lasting several weeks—meaning the workforce could not be replenished overnight. This imbalance led to widespread operational disruptions, including frequent flight delays, cancellations, and the implementation of passenger caps at major hubs like London Heathrow. By late 2023, while hiring had accelerated, the industry remained in a delicate recovery phase where any minor disruption could cause a "domino effect" of cancellations due to a lack of reserve crew.