Dubai, UAE, September 21, 2023 – Emirates, one of the world’s leading airlines, is extending a warm welcome to seasoned Airbus captains as it continues to expand its wide-body fleet in response to soaring demand. The airline is actively seeking applications from experienced commanders to join its Direct Entry Captains program for the Airbus A380 fleet.
Emirates has initiated a global recruitment drive for skilled pilots. Interested candidates and their families can participate in an online information session on October 4 at 1 p.m. Dubai time, attend open days in select destinations, and explore exciting opportunities on the Emirates Group Careers website.
The Direct Entry Captains program is designed for technically proficient captains with a minimum of 3,000 hours of recent command experience on Airbus fly-by-wire wide-body aircraft, including the A330, A340, A350, and A380. Candidates are required to have a total flying time of at least 7,000 hours on multi-crew, multi-engine aircraft and meet other eligibility criteria.
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Life at 35,000 Feet
Emirates pilots find their profession fulfilling, rewarding, and exhilarating. New recruits will become part of a 4,200-strong flight crew community, including 1,515 A380 pilots, who take pride in operating the airline’s fleet of 260 aircraft. Emirates boasts one of the world’s youngest and most advanced all wide-body fleets, which includes the iconic Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. The airline is set to receive its fleet of A350s in mid-2024 and 777-9s in 2025.
Emirates pilots also enjoy the excitement of flying an extensive global route network that spans six continents. They operate a wide range of routes, from regional flights in the Middle East to ultra-long-haul destinations and cross-polar flights, providing diverse and interesting assignments.
Lifelong Training
Emirates remains committed to investing in innovative pilot training, with its current facility housing 10 full-flight simulators. The airline’s evidence-based in-house training programs are delivered by highly experienced instructors in specially designed operating environments. A state-of-the-art pilot training facility, valued at $135 million, is set to open in March 2024, increasing pilot training capacity by 54% and housing six more full-flight simulators, including those for the A350s and Boeing 777-9s.
Pilots also have access to a range of non-technical training programs at the Emirates Aviation College and Emirates Aviation University.
Life at Emirates and in Dubai
Emirates’ expat pilot community enjoys living and working in the safe, secure, and multicultural city of Dubai. They collaborate with flight deck colleagues from 111 countries and work alongside colleagues from over 160 nationalities. Pilots receive a competitive tax-free salary, spacious accommodation, education allowance, and excellent dental, medical, and life insurance coverage. Additional perks include chauffeur-driven transportation to and from work, laundry services, 42 days of annual leave, confirmed Business Class annual leave flight tickets, concessional cargo rates, exceptional discounted travel benefits for friends and family, and more.
Pilots appreciate the well-defined career paths at Emirates, with opportunities to become management pilots, recruitment pilots, technical pilots, standards captains, training captains, audit captains, examiners, and instructors. Many pilots enjoy long and fruitful careers at Emirates, with approximately 40% of them having been with the airline for over a decade. The two longest-serving pilots, with over 34 years of service each, joined the airline on the same day in 1989.
Over the past five months, Emirates has welcomed 172 new pilots through its three recruitment programs: Direct Entry Captains, Accelerated Command, and First Officers.
Accelerated Command Program
Designed for Airbus Captains who currently command narrow-body aircraft and possess a minimum of 1,500 hours of Airbus fly-by-wire experience. They join as A380 First Officers with an enhanced salary package. After accumulating a minimum of 700 flying hours and passing two successful recurrent checks, they become eligible for an accelerated command upgrade, typically achieved in just over a year.
First Officer
Candidates must have multi-engine, multi-crew aircraft experience, a valid International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), and a minimum of 2,000 hours on 20-tonne maximum take-off weight aircraft.
Emirates invites interested pilots to learn more about the various flight deck roles and register for the upcoming information session on its website.
For additional information and updates, visit the Emirates website and Emirates Group Careers.