Emirates Continues September 2026 Pilot Recruitment Roadshow Across South Korea, Ireland and UK

Global – Dubai-based widebody carrier Emirates is conducting a September 2026 pilot recruitment roadshow across South Korea, Ireland and the United Kingdom, covering experienced-pilot opportunities including Direct Entry Captain, Accelerated Command and First Officer positions.

• 13 recruitment sessions are scheduled across four locations during September:
  • four in Seoul on September 2-3
  • three in Dublin on September 18-19
  • three at London Gatwick on September 21-22
  • three in Manchester on September 23-24
• Emirates says the sessions cover its recruitment process, training, roster structure, employment packages and pilot life in Dubai.
• Emirates currently advertises three principal experienced-pilot entry points:
  • Direct Entry Captain from 7,000 total flight hours,
  • Accelerated Command from 5,000 hours and
  • First Officer from 2,000 hours.
• Pilot selection is conducted in two stages. The first is remote and includes a recorded HireVue interview, psychometric and abstract-reasoning assessments and a live digital panel interview; shortlisted candidates then attend a two-day assessment in Dubai covering simulator, Advanced Compass and Emirates medical assessments.
• Newly recruited pilots subsequently undertake aircraft-specific training in Dubai. Emirates currently lists Boeing 777 initial and conversion training at approximately 40-55 days and Airbus A380 initial and conversion training at 45-55 days, with each pathway comprising ground school, full-flight simulator and line-flying-under-supervision phases.
• Emirates' pilot careers platform currently reports approximately 5,000 flight-deck personnel representing more than 140 nationalities and around 270 aircraft. In May 2025, the airline announced a plan to recruit more than 1,500 pilots over the following two years, including more than 550 during 2025.
• The airline opened its new US$135 million Emirates Crew Training Centre in Dubai in September 2025. The 63,318-square-foot facility has six full-flight simulator bays, with two A350 FFS already operational at opening and four additional devices, including Boeing 777X simulators, planned over the following years.
• Once all six devices are operational, Emirates said its pilots would have access to 17 full-flight simulators across its Dubai training infrastructure, comprising the six-bay facility and 11 existing A380 and Boeing 777 devices. The expansion is designed to increase annual pilot-training capacity by 54% to approximately 130,000 hours.
• Emirates reported a total fleet of 277 aircraft at March 31, 2026, including 19 Airbus A350s. Its orderbook at that date comprised 367 future aircraft, including 54 A350s, 270 Boeing 777X aircraft, 35 Boeing 787s and eight 777 freighters, with deliveries extending through 2038.
• AFM previously reported that Emirates held a five-city pilot recruitment roadshow across the UK and Ireland in May 2026 and followed this with roadshows in Hong Kong and Singapore in July and Madrid and Lisbon in August, making the September programme another stage of the carrier's recurring international pilot recruitment campaign. 

Source: Emirates