The air transportation industry was experiencing massive growth across the globe before the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, future projections from major forecasting indicators, such as the Boeing Global Forecast and Airbus Market Forecast, predicted a greater than 4% average yearly growth rate over the next twenty years. The Federal Aviation Administration also predicted higher-than-average growth rates in the United States. The Global Covid pandemic brought significant cutbacks and losses to the industry. In 2022, the air transportation industry is bouncing back. With increased aircraft purchases comes the need for thousands of new pilots, managers, cabin crew members, and maintenance technicians. Currently, collegiate aviation is one of the primary producers of qualified candidates in the aviation industry. This paper analyzes the projected growth of the air transportation industry before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluates the status of collegiate aviation programs in supporting that growth worldwide.