Let's see.
80 upgrades a year, 1200 F/Os at EK right now.
That'll be 15 years to get to the left seat for someone joining now. Or if it stays at 40 upgrades a year, 30 years to move over.
But that's not counting Airbus upgrades and not counting DECs, retirements and resignations. Expect more DECs than retirements. And expect relatively few new Airbus deliveries, a handful of A380s over the next two years of which Flight magazine reported this week that EK is once again looking at deferring. EK refused to comment.
Anyone joining EK expecting less than 10-12 years to left seat is probably going to end up whining on this board.