Emirates to hire 3,000 cabin crew and 500 service staff as routes ramp up

Huge demand expected as carrier looks to expand following the pandemic

Emirates is set to hire 3,000 cabin crew as normal operations gradually resume. Courtesy: Emirates

Emirates, the world’s biggest long-haul airline, is set to hire 3,000 cabin crew and 500 airport services employees in the next six months as the Dubai-based carrier seeks to ramp up operations to cater to recovering travel demand.

These roles are Dubai-based positions and frontline customer-facing roles, the airline said on Thursday.

"Both jobs offer exciting opportunities for friendly, energetic, and service-oriented people to meet and interact with the world as Emirates’ brand ambassadors," the airline said.

Candidates wanting to join Emirates can submit applications at emiratesgroupcareers.com.

The Covid-19 pandemic hit the global aviation industry hard last year and led to airlines grounding aircraft, cutting jobs and slashing salaries. However, the reopening of economies globally, the easing of pandemic-induced travel restrictions and accelerated vaccination programmes are leading to a rebound in travel demand.

Emirates 'flight attendant' on top of the world for tourism campaign - in pictures

Like many other major airlines around the world, Emirates took steps to slash costs and conserve cash by reducing staff wages, cutting jobs, and offering cabin crew voluntary unpaid leave to cope with the fallout from the pandemic.

But the airline has gradually restored its operations in line with the easing of travel restrictions around the world. In recent months it has recalled pilots, cabin crew and other operational employees who were stood down when the pandemic forced a drastic reduction in flights last year. It also reinstated the full salaries of its staff from October last year.

Cabin crew serving in Emirate's economy class cabins are entitled to an average starting monthly salary of Dh9,770 ($2,660), based on 80 to 100 flying hours per month, according to the airline's website. The airline covers the layover expenses, including meal allowances, hotel accommodation and transport to and from the airport.

Emirates currently flies to more than 120 cities, representing 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic network, the statement said.

The Dubai airline plans to restore 70 per cent of its capacity by the end of the year, including bringing back more of its A380 aircraft into active service, it added.

Emirates will take delivery of three Airbus A380s this year, with its final superjumbo expected to join the fleet in November, earlier than the planned schedule of June 2022. The deliveries will bring its A380 fleet to 118 aircraft in November.

By October, Emirates said it will resume its A380 operations on more than a dozen popular routes.

Emirates was also among the first airlines globally to begin testing the Iata Travel Pass in April this year as part of efforts to find a common standard for travellers to validate their Covid-19 health documents and navigate travel requirements.

The Dubai airline, which reported a loss of Dh20.3 billion ($5.5bn) for the fiscal year ending March 31, compared with a profit of Dh1.1bn in the previous year, has been optimistic about the rebound in the aviation sector and the industry's future outlook.

“Economies and companies that entered pandemic times in a strong position will be better placed to bounce back,” chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said earlier this year.

"Together with Dubai’s undiminished ambitions to grow economic activity and build a city for the future, I am confident that Emirates ... will recover and be stronger than before,” he added.