At a time when hiring activities in many UAE industries are subdued, airlines in the country have announced plans to hire new pilots and cabin crew.

Dubai’s Emirates airline is planning to hire from the UAE, while Etihad has announced a series of assessment days for jobseekers in more than 20 cities this year.

More vacancies could also open up soon, with budget carrier Flydubai saying that it is “currently reviewing” recruitment plans for cabin crew and pilots.

The three UAE-based carriers either have pending aircraft orders worth billions of US dollars or plans to expand their fleet despite challenging market conditions.

This year, Emirates is scheduled to receive a few of the 20 Airbus A380s it had ordered in 2018.

Emirates told Zawya that its latest hiring is in line with the company’s expansion plans and scheduled plane deliveries.

“Emirates conducts cabin crew recruitment regularly and globally to ensure we meet our resource planning that caters to planned aircraft deliveries and network expansion in the short to the long term,” a spokesperson told Zawya.

Etihad, which has restructured its previous orders of 156 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, said in February last year that it is still expected to receive at least 37 new planes “over the coming years.” The airline has been incurring financial losses since 2016 but aims to return to profitability in 2023.

When Boeing grounded its 737 Max jetliner, Flydubai incurred huge losses as it pulled 14 Max planes. It is reported that Flydubai has plans to acquire new aircraft in the next many years.

According to recruitment specialists, the overall employment market remains subdued, although some companies are still hiring new staff.

“Industry players struggled and often downsized essentially due to demand contraction and a saturated market in the UAE,” Pierre-Emmanuel Dupil, senior managing director for PageGroup, Middle East and Africa, said in a report.

How to apply with Emirates

The airline has advised jobseekers to register through the company’s careers website and wait for an invitation e-mail prior to attending a recruitment event.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age at the time of joining with an arm reach of 212 centimetres, when standing on tiptoes. Potential candidates should be able to adapt to new people, places and situations.

How to apply with Etihad

Applicants should keep monitoring the Careers section of the company’s website to find a list of places where Etihad’s recruitment team will be available to conduct assessment days or accept CVs.

So far, more than 20 assessment days have been scheduled between January 25 and March 24. Assessments will be held in Singapore, South Korea, Paris, Athens, Brussels, Marrakesh, Berlin, Manchester, Tokyo, Nagoya, Serbia, Brisbane, Perth, Amsterdam, Rome, Cape Town and Johannesburg, among others.

Depending on the airline, an assessment day can last for one or two days, during which, applicants are initially screened. There can also be further assessments and interviews prior to the final interview. Some of these recruitment events are strictly based on invitation.

How to apply with Flydubai

Jobseekers can submit their applications through the careers section of the airline’s website. The section posts new vacancies regularly.

Applicants can also sign up for the airline’s job alerts, to get notifications on employment opportunities in the future.

(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)

Cleofe.Maceda@refinitiv.com

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© ZAWYA 2020