Outplacement in aviation

Aviation is growing, but changing fundamentally. New aircraft generations, sustainable fuels, digitalisation, automation, geopolitical shifts and increasing international competition are changing the entire industry. New jobs are emerging, while classic functions come under pressure to adapt.

The German aerospace industry is one of the country's most dynamic high-tech industries: in 2025 it reached €62 billion in revenue (+19%) and 130,000 employees — also a new record high. Civil air traffic recovered further too: 207.2 million passengers at Germany's main airports (+3.9%).

So aviation is not in a classic crisis. It is in a profound transformation. And that difference is decisive for the careers of specialists and executives.

Why aviation is in structural change

Decarbonisation is changing aircraft, propulsion and infrastructure: sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), more efficient engines, lightweight construction, alternative propulsion concepts and optimised processes. In its 2026 aviation strategy, the German government explicitly linked climate-friendly development with competitiveness, technological sovereignty and digitalisation.

Airlines, airports, MRO companies, suppliers, logistics and administration are being digitalised too. AI is used for predictive maintenance, flight and crew planning, capacity and maintenance planning, customer service and risk analysis. A telling example: the Lufthansa Group plans to cut around 4,000 jobs by 2030 — focused on administrative, not operational roles, partly through digitalisation and AI. Even in a growing aviation sector, certain functions can come under clear pressure to change.

New jobs are emerging at the same time

The other part of the story matters just as much: Lufthansa Technik reports high demand for maintenance and repair services and employed around 22,989 people at the end of 2025 (+3%); it still cites material and staff shortages in productive areas as a challenge. This is a typical situation of structural change: certain functions are automated or reduced, while others grow clearly. What matters is which side of that shift your competency profile is on.

Aviation invests around 6% of its revenue in research and development and, with a 66% export ratio, is strongly international. This creates interfaces with automotive, mechanical engineering, electronics, software, energy, materials science, defence and space.

Your market value is greater than your job title

A "Director Ground Operations" sounds very industry-specific. Behind it, however, can lie operations, process optimisation, safety management, crisis management, service-provider management, digitalisation, cost management and leadership of large teams — relevant in logistics, transport, infrastructure, automotive, industry, rail and energy.

The question is: "Which companies need an experienced operations manager who can steer and transform complex, safety-critical processes?"

Similarly for the "Head of Maintenance": asset management, technical excellence, compliance, predictive maintenance, process management, quality, leadership and risk management are also of interest to energy, rail, automotive, industry, plant engineering and infrastructure. Aviation provides the demanding reference; the market value lies in operating critical technical systems safely, efficiently and reliably.

Which competencies become more important

• Digitalisation — digital processes and integrated systems become the standard.
• Data & AI — predictive maintenance, planning and optimisation benefit from data and AI.
• Cybersecurity — protecting critical systems gains importance.
• Sustainability — SAF, energy efficiency and new aircraft technologies create new fields.
• Supply-chain management — global supply chains must become more robust and transparent.
• Safety & compliance — the high level of regulation remains and grows more complex with new technologies.
• Transformation — companies need people who actually implement change.

Geopolitics changes the industry further: the 2026 aviation strategy bundles civil, industrial and military aviation for the first time. Alongside airlines and suppliers, defence, space, security, advanced manufacturing and aerospace technology gain importance.

Which target markets come into question

Experience from aviation & aerospace	Conceivable target markets
Operations	logistics, rail, industry
MRO	automotive, energy, plant engineering
Engineering	mechanical engineering, automotive, medtech
Quality / compliance	pharma, medtech, automotive
Supply chain	industry, logistics, automotive
Project management	infrastructure, energy, industry
Safety management	energy, transport, industry
Digitalisation	industrial tech, software
Defence / aerospace	security, defence, space
Transformation	cross-industry

The combination of technical depth, regulation and an international environment yields an especially strong competency profile.

A different logic applies to executives

A "VP Operations Aviation" can lead international organisations, transform complex processes, deliver cost programmes, steer safety requirements and master crises — which becomes: "Internationally experienced leader for complex operations and transformation organisations." For top managers, what counts is not "How well do you know aviation?" but "Which transformations can you lead?" Aviation is the context; transformation and accountability for results are the market value.

What affected professionals should do after job cuts

1. Analyse your competency base. Which skills lie behind the previous function?
2. Quantify successes. Which costs, processes, projects, teams or quality metrics were improved?
3. Identify transferable competencies. What of this is also relevant in logistics, industry, energy or infrastructure?
4. Identify future fields. Where do opportunities arise — MRO, aerospace, defence, digitalisation, sustainable technologies?
5. Sharpen your positioning. Which professional role do I want to take on next?
6. Design market access strategically. Networks, referrals, executive search and direct approaches — the core of our KARENT PLACEMENT approach.

What professional outplacement consulting can achieve

In aviation, professional identity is often especially closely tied to the industry. Professional outplacement helps to loosen the competency core from the previous company or function: assessment, competency transfer, target-market analysis, repositioning, executive positioning, and network and interview strategy.

Aviation grows — but it becomes a different aviation

The industry reached new record highs in 2025 with €62 billion in revenue and 130,000 employees — while business models and organisations are being realigned: more digital, automated, sustainable, international, technology-intensive and geopolitically relevant. Certain administrative activities can be automated, while MRO, engineering, aerospace, defence and new technologies create additional opportunities.

Even in a growth industry, your position can disappear — but that does not mean your expertise loses value. Those who master complex, regulated, safety-critical systems have a competency mix that is interesting well beyond aviation.