Lets look at this realistically to see if EK make the top 5.
1. Between Gulf Air, Etihad and Qatar, EK is the lower paid of the 4 - That puts them at number 4 if the other 3 were the best paid in the world. Air Arabia is even catching up at a rapid rate!
2. An Air France FO earns more than an EK Capt and I'm sure they knock the socks off the other 4 - So they now stand at number 5.
3. Cathay, NCA, Easyjet, KLM, Ryanair, BA, Korean, Jade, Jet Airways, JAL, Dragon Air, Lufthansa....... earn more than EK
Where does that put them (there are others - USA carriers included), moving towards position 19 to make themselves attractive in the top 20.
What's that saying,"....keep......"