Aircraft Service Attendants
Machines can already do 25% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 61%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Aircraft Service Attendants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 25% of this job's tasks.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 61% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 31,300 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $40,450 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 61% for contact with people.
- Also called: Aircraft Deicer, Aircraft Refueler, Fueler, Refueler.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refuel aircraft using hoses connected to fuel trucks | 48% | 20% to 60% | |
| Complete forms describing tasks completed | 10% | 70% to 95% | |
| Empty aircraft lavatory systems or refill them with sanitizer fluid | 6% | 20% to 60% | |
| Load baggage or cargo for crew or passengers | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Guide aircraft to designated areas using hand signals, batons, or other methods | 5% | 28% to 58% | |
| Radio to flight dispatchers or other personnel to discuss incoming or outgoing aircraft | 5% | 30% to 60% | |
| Apply de-icing fluid to aircraft from baskets lifted by truck-mounted cranes | 5% | 20% to 60% | |
| Tow aircraft to gates or hangars using tugs, tractors, or other vehicles | 5% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills aircraft service attendants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,400
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,450
- Upholsterers40% of tasks by 2035 · US median $46,340
- Animal Caretakers51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $35,360
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Aircraft Service Attendants?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of aircraft service attendants?
Machines can do 25% of the tasks of aircraft service attendants today and 61% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 53-6032.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Aircraft Service Attendants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/aircraft-service-attendants/