Emirates is on the hunt for seasoned Airbus captains to join its team. The airline is expanding its fleet of wide-body aircraft due to high demand and is now accepting applications for its Direct Entry Captains program, specifically for Airbus A380s. If you’re an experienced pilot, this could be your next big move.
What It Takes to Join
To be eligible for the Direct Entry Captains program, pilots need to have at least 3,000 recent command hours on Airbus fly-by-wire wide-body aircraft like the A330, A340, A350, and A380. On top of that, you should have a total of 7,000 flying hours on multi-crew, multi-engine aircraft. Emirates has set the bar high, ensuring they get the best talent for their fleet. The airline is hosting an online info session on October 4 at 1 pm Dubai time and has also organized open days in select locations. For more details, you can visit their careers page.
Life in the Skies with Emirates
Once you’re part of the Emirates team, you’ll join a community of 4,200 flight crew members, including 1,515 A380 pilots. The airline has a fleet of 260 aircraft, all wide-body, making it one of the youngest and most advanced fleets globally. New aircraft are also on the way, with A350s expected in mid-2024 and 777-9s in 2025. Pilots get to fly across six continents, from regional Middle East routes to ultra-long-haul and cross-polar flights, making for an exciting and varied work schedule.
Training and Career Growth
Emirates doesn’t skimp on training. The airline has 10 full-flight simulators and is planning to open a new $135 million training facility in March 2024. This new space will increase training capacity by 54% and will include six more full-flight simulators. Pilots also have access to various non-technical training programs at Emirates Aviation College and Emirates Aviation University.
Living the Emirates Life in Dubai
Dubai is home to Emirates’ diverse expat pilot community, where pilots from 111 countries work together. The city offers a safe and multicultural environment, and pilots enjoy several perks like a tax-free salary, spacious living arrangements, and education allowances. They also get 42 days of annual leave, business class flight tickets for leave, and many more benefits. Career paths at Emirates are well-defined, offering various roles like management pilots, recruitment pilots, technical pilots, and more. Many pilots have long careers at Emirates, with some even serving for more than 30 years.
In the past five months, Emirates has welcomed 172 new pilots through its three recruitment programs: Direct Entry Captains, Accelerated Command, and First Officers. The Accelerated Command Program is for Airbus Captains with at least 1,500 hours of Airbus experience. They join as A380 First Officers and can move up the ranks quickly. First Officers need to have a valid International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and at least 2,000 hours on aircraft with a 20-tonne maximum take-off weight.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
