Emirates Requirements...?
 

Hey guys,

Looking for info on what EK seems to like hiring these days.

I am currently 1 year into my first 121 gig, an EMB-145 only operator and am not going to meet the time requirements for an upgrade for a few years yet.

What sorts of things is EK looking for?

EK's website states that its pilots require X hours of "Modern, multi-engine, multi-crew jet aircraft time"

I've heard all kinds of different rumors about what does and doesn't qualify as that type of time, and have even heard rumors that the aircraft in question must be 60,000lbs MTW or greater.. is that true?

Is EMB-145 time acceptable, and is it competitive?

I had also heard rumors that EK is only taking the disillusioned and ultra experienced US 121 pilots that our giving up on our industry over here any truth to that?

Besides just hours in a log book, what sort of personality types/lifestyle types are they looking for. What registers well on the "Human Resources" end?

They have tons of testing for technical skill, psychometric testing, knowledge testing, coordination testing, and everything else for the interview and these things can be studied, practiced, mastered, and generally prepared for, so I really want to know what gets you in the door of the interview? What makes a company like EK want to fly you half way across the world for a prospective job?

I also would like to know a bit about the quality of life at EK. The money is legendary, but the few people i've spoken to about it that claim to know anything are "a friend of a friend that worked over there at some point" and I either get how much they hated it or how much they loved it. Never heard a neutral remark on the subject period.

pprune.org Middle East section. Also, JS to DXB for a week and see for yourself. Your better off staying where you are life gets better after year one. QOL QOL QOL.

Emirates Requirements...?
 

Get 2500 hours on a Boeing or Airbus then you'll get an interview.

Emirates Requirements...?
 

My gf is a cabin crew at EK and last time I was in Dubai, she was able to get me in touch with one of the captains that also does interviews and we grabbed a coffee and chatted about this very same subject.

As for the interview, I was able to review his guide and believe me, it's not as complicated as people make it sound like. There are some specific things that they look for (during the group exercise, speak up) but really, they understand you're going to be stressed out. He said even if you screw up the sim, but do well on the areas, you will be hired (get the idea?).


At the moment, 145 or crj200 times aren't very competitive. That said, EK has hired both 145 and 200 pilots in the past. It's all about supply and demand. He said the pilot recruiters are trying to convince the hr people to drop the weight requirement. No luck yet, but it could happen in the future.

You do not have to be a 121 legacy pilots to get hired at EK. If you can get yourself in a 900 or a 170-175, that will do it. Of course, it always helps to know someone within the inside. But that's almost for any job, not just EK

Average American pilot life span at EK is about 8-10 years, according to him. It's not for everybody. So do your research.

I'm exactly in the same boat as you are. Just over a year at a 121 company, flying the E145. If you can get on a 175, or a 900, that's great but don't stress it that much. He strongly believed that requirement will be dropped, eventually

Thanks man. Yeah, unless my company gets E175's which is a very unlikely (but still rumored) event, we won't be seeing the weight requirement met untill the MRJ comes out if the MRJ ever makes it so I hope they drop it, because I'm not making lateral career movements and losing seniority just to target a bigger airplane for a job that might or might not happen.

There are a lot of threads here on APC. Just search "Emirates". The threads here are 100% better than any you'll find on PPrune. Pprune went downhill as an information source about 10 years ago and it just keeps getting worse.

I was at Emirates for 11 years and recently left for something else. So I made it more than the average American :) That's kind of funny actually since when I left I was basically the senior American. Gillegan, who left a few years ago, made it 15 years. Emirates didn't really hire Americans until slightly after I joined. The flood gates opened a few years after that and there are about 300 there now. There was a period where ERJ and CRJ pilots were getting hired, but then the pendulum swung the other way and it stopped. I am hearing now that some corporate guys with only GIV GV or Challenger time have been getting calls, but I believe they are flying in that region already.

A large number of those 300 Americans are looking to leave. Emirates was great during the post 9-11 furloughs/bankruptcies and then the age 65 stagnation period, but now that things are starting to move in the USA again there is no way I would recommend going there. One of the main reasons to go to Emirates was the chance at a quick upgrade in a widebody. I was lucky and upgraded in one year ( previous command time ) and most who joined within the 5 years after me upgraded in the 3-5 year time frame. That has ended now. Upgrades for a new joiner today are going to go beyond a decade. It's just simple math. Look at the fleet number now; the projected growth; the number of pilots; and the attrition rate to get a rough idea. At what point might you be projecting to be at the half way point up the seniority list?

If you want to go to Emirates I would highly recommend getting 1000 PIC jet before leaving the States. At least then you'll have the qualifications to get back to the States someday. Because you won't be getting PIC time at EK for at least 10 years.


Typhoonpilot

Typhoonpilot,

I have always found your posts to be fascinating, informative, and a great read. Now that you are gone from Emirates, would you care to share some entertaining stories (names and dates abstracted, of course) from your time on the line?

And if I may ask, to which greener pastures did you head?

Good advice. Very Informative, thank you. What about getting in on the 777 for example and transitioning to the A380?

Thanks kfahmi, I think it would be better to let a few years pass before telling any stories in a public environment. Most of my stories are good ones. Emirates was a great experience for me and I am thankful for my time there. In an ideal world I would have stayed a little longer, but circumstances dictated the time to leave be sooner.



TP

While it might happen, it is unlikely. So far only B777 Captains have gone to A380 Captain. First Officers from the A330/340 fleet have gone to the A380 fleet as First Officer, not from the B777 fleet. It is always a question of where the need is, so it could happen eventually.

TP

My two cents here on EK….

I would absolutely not recommend an American guy coming to EK these days. There is going to (and has already started) be a hiring spree to beat even the late 80's/early 90's numbers just to maintain a zero growth due to the percentage of retirements from each combination of majors that now exists. Emirates realizes they will probably lose a good number of US guys but as TP mentioned,

There are just too many opportunities in the US now and for the foreseeable future to contemplate coming to Emirates. Coming and working at Emirates is just simply not the same as you think it would be working for a major in the US. Very different mentality….

But again…. why would anyone even want to come to EK when the US market is just now starting to takeoff in a big way with hiring numbers.

As I read it, there are probably 300 pilots each month getting hired at all the US airlines combined at present. At some point, the guys who have astronaut ratings and space ship time will deplete and then us mere mortals who want to fly for a US major can have a chance.

Again, my two cents.

Kap

typhoonpilot, thank you for you posts! Always interesting and informative.
I am about to switch from an engineering career to flying with a start date in a month.
If all goes well, I should get crj700/900 time. I am interested in Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. Do you think Crj 700/900 FO time will be considered by these airlines? Also, it is not clearly stated, but do these carriers have an age limit?
I understand your point about upgrade at Emirates, how about the others?
Thanks!

Wouldn't the addition of 150 777X affect upgrade times?

Also, on the lines of baron's questions... anyone have any info on cathay pacific?

Emirates age cutoff for new hire first officers is 48 and for direct entry captains is 56. That's unofficial of course and there have been a few exceptions made for highly experienced pilots.

Emirates and Etihad will always hire pilots from B737NG and A320
or higher Boeing/Airbus types ahead of any other time. It is only when they can not find enough qualified applicants with that preferred experience that they will start looking at other experience. With Emirates and Etihad captain time is not that important, first officer time will generally suffice. That said, I can't think of very many (if any) pure CRJ first officers that have been hired. Pilots coming from that type have typically been captains previously.

Qatar is a different animal and their requirements tend to be lower than both Emirates and Etihad.


Those will mostly be replacement aircraft . When the first one arrives in 2020, the oldest B777-300ER would be 15 years old and due for replacement. If any of the RR powered -300 or 200ERs are still remaining they would definitely be due for replacement.



TP

All due respect to you and TP's comments concerning hiring in the US mainland, true as it may be, not all of us have bachelor degrees or are older than most and/or would rather live overseas/fly overseas. there are multiple reasons.

with that said, I could be interested in Emirates. Now could be an interesting time with that amount of hiring in the US, could cause a need for applicants. Is this a factor?
Upgrade time would be a concern. If TP is reading this, do you really think 10 years+ even with the hiring elsewhere and addition of a 380 or so, not the 777 replacements??

I personally have heaps of heavy time, but not enough Command currently for DEC I believe. Does having command time and addition of heavy time in general trigger upgrade opportunities?

plus I am 48

777x no earlier than 2021 and would bet on 2022+, all 150 are replacements. Fleet size by 2020 = 280 (160/777 and 120/380) 3600 pilots as of now. Present fleet =225. First of the 300er's start to go in 2017. all the old ones330/343/345/200er/300 gone by then regardless of what people say, some leases will be extended but only for a short period if required. As TP said EK ship has sailed for the quik upgrade.