Was talking to a friend of mine working as a Captain. One of the many rumours that he heard is that EK is considering recruiting DEC's in the near future.
The reason being that they are not finding the required number of new joiners and it seems that for some reason F/O's are not passing their upgrade evaluation and sim checks.
No DECs from what I hear. Sorry mate!
And only a few F/Os haven't made the left seat during their upgrade course - they are the ones who would struggle at other airlines too in all likelihood. A lot of new captains with shiny new stripes on their shoulders - sorry to deflate your bubble
