United Arab Emirates – Emirates, Dubai’s flagship carrier, has outlined plans to recruit 5,000 pilots over the next eight years, underscoring the scale of flight crew demand tied to its widebody fleet expansion and long-term network growth strategy.

• The hiring target was confirmed by Adel Ahmed Al Redha, Co-Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer of Emirates to local Newspaper Gulf News, during the sixth graduation ceremony of the airline’s cadet pilot programme at the Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA).

• Emirates’ pilot recruitment plan aligns with broader regional forecasts indicating that Middle Eastern airlines will require more than 10,300 additional pilots by 2030 to support fleet and network expansion.

• The airline holds commitments for approximately 375 future widebody aircraft, including Boeing 777X, 777F, 787, and Airbus A350-900 aircraft, following additional orders placed at the Dubai Airshow last month.

• Emirates is pursuing a multi-channel pilot sourcing strategy, combining cadet pilots trained internally at EFTA, experienced direct-entry pilots, and international recruits trained outside the group.

• The Emirates Flight Training Academy has already produced more than 300 pilots currently flying for the airline, providing a controlled pipeline aligned with Emirates’ operational and cultural standards.

• The pilot recruitment plan forms part of a wider Emirates Group hiring initiative announced in July 2025, targeting 17,300 new hires across 350 roles in the current financial year.

• Since 2022, Emirates Group has onboarded over 41,000 professionals, bringing total group headcount to approximately 121,000 employees.

Source: Emirates, EFTA and Gulf News