Several airlines in United Arab Emirates (UAE) have ramped up their recruitment drive to expand their network, with aviation training colleges recording high demand and offering handsome pay.
Registrations for cabin crew training programs certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have seen a significant surge, with some experiencing around a 40% increase since Q4 last year.
According to the CEO of Blue Ocean Corporation Dr. Sathya Menon, an organization specializing in training cabin crew hopefuls, they have expanded considerably since Q1 2022.
Specifically, their enrollment numbers for the cabin crew training program at Blue Ocean Academy stood at 200 during Q4 2022. However, these numbers have witnessed a nearly 40% boost reaching 275 new students.
According to Mark Kammer, Operations Director at Dynamic Advanced Training at the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, this hiring spree extends to national, legacy, low-cost, and small airlines.
In the UAE, carriers are organizing extensive recruitment drives both locally and internationally. While getting training accreditation from independent organizations can improve job prospects with major airlines, all cabin crew candidates must complete airline-specific training programs.
Emirates is conducting recruitment drives across 50 countries, including popular destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, North America, the UK, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, and UAE.
These efforts are aimed at preparing for the upcoming travel season and aligning with the airline’s plans to introduce Airbus A350s by mid-2024.
With 18,000 cabin crew, Emirates ensures that all employees undergo a seven-week specialized training program at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai.
In addition to Emirates, its sister carrier Flydubai is also seeking cabin crew members as it expands its network. Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of Flydubai, stated in an interview with Gulf News that the airline witnessed a remarkable 39% growth in its workforce last year.
