By Daniel Ellis-Bland, Managing Director & CEO, Damicor

As 2025 closes, UK aviation construction finds itself in a defining moment. Passenger numbers have surged beyond pre-pandemic levels and airport investment has accelerated at its fastest pace in nearly a decade. The UK’s major airports increased capital spend by an estimated 12–15% this year, driven by terminal upgrades, airfield modernisation, CT security rollouts, and an unprecedented wave of automation programmes.

Working with clients such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham Airport, Dublin Airport, London Luton Airport, MAG, Ferrovial, Mace, Mitie, Beumer, Vanderlande and Leidos, Damicor has had direct visibility of the pressures and opportunities shaping this transformation. And while the infrastructure momentum is encouraging, the greatest constraint on delivery remains unchanged — the availability of highly specialised talent.

2025: A Year of Acceleration — and a Year of Shortage

Aviation construction has always been complex, but 2025 pushed the sector into new territory. Automation became the largest single driver of technical hiring: more than one in three engineering vacancies across our client base this year required controls, PLC, BHS or systems integration experience. Demand for commissioning managers and multi-discipline systems engineers rose sharply, widening talent shortages by over 20% compared with 2024.

Sustainability also shifted from aspiration to obligation. With airports tightening decarbonisation commitments, the proportion of job profiles requiring sustainability competence grew to 70%, nearly double the pre-2023 figure. Carbon engineers, environmental specialists and sustainability-focused project managers are now firmly embedded across design, construction and handover phases.

Meanwhile, the wider construction and engineering workforce continued to contract. Forecasts indicate the UK will need over 250,000 additional construction workers by 2028, while the engineering sector expects nearly one in five specialists to retire by 2026. In aviation — where every project involves regulated environments, safety-critical systems and multi-OEM collaboration — these shortages are amplified.

The result: 2025 was the most competitive year for talent since the London 2012 infrastructure cycle.

2026: The Year UK Aviation Will Redefine Its Workforce Strategy

Looking ahead, 2026 will not simply extend current trends — it will intensify them. The next wave of airport development is defined not by scale alone, but by complexity: digital twins, integrated automation, predictive maintenance ecosystems, airside electrification and carbon-accountable construction.

These shifts will shape the workforce in three significant ways:

1. Specialist Engineering Demand Will Outpace Supply Again — by Double-Digit Margins

Controls engineers, BHS specialists, commissioning leads, senior M&E engineers and PMO professionals will remain the hardest areas to hire.
Across these categories, we anticipate demand rising a further 15–30% in 2026.

2. Hybrid Skill Sets Will Become the New Currency

Airports increasingly need engineers who can operate across mechanical, electrical, digital and data environments simultaneously.
Traditional silos are dissolving: the most valuable professionals in 2026 will be those who understand both systems and infrastructure.

3. Workforce Flexibility Will Become a Strategic Imperative

Contract and project-based hiring increased over 30% in 2025 — a trend that will deepen as airports face tighter delivery windows and phased funding cycles.
By mid-2026, up to 40% of aviation construction resourcing is expected to sit within flexible models.

In other words: talent agility will become just as important as technical capability.

What This Means for Clients

Airports, contractors and systems integrators will need to adopt a more strategic approach to workforce planning. Three priorities will define successful programmes in 2026:

Plan skills, not just scopes.
Hiring for automation, sustainability and digital competence must begin months earlier — not when deliverables are already under pressure.

Attract cross-sector talent.
Rail, logistics automation and advanced manufacturing are becoming vital talent feeders as the aviation specialist pool tightens further.

Partner for rapid mobilisation.
With commissioning peaks and airfield access windows becoming tighter, the ability to deploy teams in weeks — not months — will separate on-time delivery from costly delays.

What This Means for Candidates

For engineering and construction professionals, 2026 will offer the strongest mobility in a generation. Opportunities will expand across automation, systems integration, M&E, airside development and sustainability.

Engineers with digital capability — BIM, controls, remote monitoring, data-literate project management — will command premium salaries. Candidates willing to cross disciplines or enter aviation from adjacent sectors will progress fastest.

The message is simple: 2026 belongs to those who can adapt, upskill and operate across increasingly integrated environments.

Damicor’s Role in the Year Ahead

As a specialist partner immersed in UK and European airport environments — and backed by the insight of James Caan CBE — Damicor will continue guiding both clients and candidates through this evolving landscape. Our focus remains fixed on delivering workforce intelligence, specialist engineering talent and agile project teams that enable the next chapter of airport transformation.

Closing Perspective

2025 accelerated the pace of modernisation;
2026 will redefine the standards by which aviation infrastructure is delivered.

For clients, it will be a year that rewards foresight, flexibility and early talent planning.
For candidates, it will be a year rich with opportunity to shape the airports of the future.

If you’re preparing for 2026 programmes, workforce strategy or your next career step, I’d welcome a discussion.

Daniel Ellis-Bland
Managing Director & CEO, Damicor
Engineering & Aviation Recruitment Specialists