Labor Shortage Woes: How Smart Software Helps Airports and Airlines at Peak Season

As passenger demand increases, the impact of labor shortage is becoming more pronounced, which is especially true before and during peak season. The industry is under pressure to maintain safety and efficiency, even as staffing becomes increasingly difficult. Fortunately, advancements in technology are creating promising avenues to mitigate these challenges. In this blog article, we will analyze some of the solutions and their impact on operations.

Growing Demands Meet Shrinking Workforce

In 2025, the U.S. aviation industry is confronting a critical labor shortage across various roles. A projected 20% shortfall in aviation maintenance technicians by 2028 underscores the urgency of the issue.

Several factors contribute to this crunch, including an aging workforce, a spike in retirements, and the explosive growth of the aviation industry itself. As technology also advances, new software solutions are expected to offer a way to manage the challenges at peak season.

Comprehensive Software Solutions Fill the Gaps

Fueled by growing needs for enhanced operational efficiency, predictive maintenance, and improved passenger experiences, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support the Aviation Market is forecasted to reach $13.3 billion by 2030.

Such investments will further drive Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to remedy the labor shortage problem, filling in the gaps of a workforce stretched thin and even lightening the load by automating menial tasks. The global Aviation software market for SaaS solutions in the cloud is expected to surge from USD 5.3 billion in 2023 to approximately USD 20.5 billion by 2033. This promising outlook is underpinned by the increasing sophistication of cloud platforms, which incorporate advanced data analytics and AI, thereby equipping airlines with the power to derive actionable intelligence.

Leveraging Smart Software to Address Aviation Labor Shortage

Modern aviation management systems include a wide range of functionalities that make operations more efficient by using AI-driven optimization. INFORM’s analysis of key KPIs shows that the use of such ground handling software systems can save users up to 30% in cost, see a return on investment within months, an increase in productivity of up to 35% as well as offering great scalability.

From the industry’s point of view, stakeholders are eager to see the benefits that the tools and solutions will offer, such as:

Advanced Staff & Equipment Allocation

Used for managing all staff and equipment resources in real time, such software supports ground operations by using optimization algorithms and AI-based applications. Its capabilities include decision-making processes and task predictions, allowing dispatchers to manage staff more effectively and respond to unexpected changes. All of this data is provided via mobile devices, enabling access to real-time information and offering unprecedented operational awareness.

Elaborate Long-Term Planning

Obviously, the best way to deal with labor shortage is to avoid it in the first place. This is achieved by a planning software which includes long-term scenario planning with what-if analysis of different planning options and optimization strategies. This way, staff can be employed and trained more accurately in advance. As a result, the airlines and ground handlers have the right people with the right qualifications in place.

Mobile Technology for Frontline Teams

This enables seamless communication between planners and employees, tracking vacations, employee preferences, and—most importantly—schedule and shift adjustments. All schedule changes and shift swaps are displayed on a mobile app for each staff member individually. Private appointments are also included in a joint calendar view to avoid potential conflicts. 

Turnaround Process overview

A software tool that monitors and controls important activities, milestones, and transfers around connection flights for passengers and baggage. It quickly identifies irregularities, their impact on operations, associated costs of delays and can provide reliable predictions of other future delays.

Digital GSE Mapping

A bridge between traditional fleet management solutions and other operational systems that are focused on visualization and the processing of telematic information, enabling interoperability and accessibility. By monitoring and tracking all ground support equipment (GSE) through a digital map while also keeping tabs on GSE maintenance and operating hours can be vital for increasing productivity.

Stands Management Systems

These give airlines & airports expanded oversight of their operations, including tracking stand assignments across the network. Regional managers are notified of disruptions or irregularities as they are detected, enabling timely responses and swift resolution. The solution centralizes the stand allocation management, relieving the local agents.

Analytics Tools

Tools that identify trends, discrepancies and risks at an early stage – helping ensure operations are prepared through reports and data models all evaluating key performance indicators.

A Future-Proof Workforce Through Technology

All these systems illustrate how smart software can be implemented across the aviation industry to help alleviate labor shortages by reducing the number of resources needed to run an operation. They provide insight, data, and propose solutions to many common issues that can occur at any given time. By having access to this technology, workers can get to more pressing issues and focus on the tasks at hand on the ground, putting less strain on the workforce overall.

What’s your best strategy to tackle labor shortage during peak season? How will it develop in the next five years? Let us know!