Emirates (EK) Interview - all you need to know about it (threads merged)
Join Date: Sep 2010
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Well just found this on Emirates group careers webpage, among the faq's
Whilst past experience and candidate’s preference is taken into account, this will not always determine the fleet type as allocation is based solely on Emirates’ operational requirements.
Whilst past experience and candidate’s preference is taken into account, this will not always determine the fleet type as allocation is based solely on Emirates’ operational requirements.

Join Date: Oct 2016
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Not at EK :)
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Nisbus. No one will send you a roster in case you publish or share it and then they will be sacked. But the rosters are EXACTLY as described. The last two posters sum it up beautifully. Happy New Year

Join Date: Apr 2003
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Not forgetting that you can't have any extra days off before or after leave. Expect to get back from a trip the day before your leave starts (possibly late at night) and expect only one day off after leave.

Join Date: May 2015
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Hi there,
Im being flown over to Dubai for the 4 days of testing in February.
I was excited before I started reading these posts. Now I'm a bit concerned at having no life and being uphappy for 5 years.
I heard that Emirates pilots work hard, but I heard from someone, and so I want to confirm it on here, that they are trying to change that.
I was told that they are hiring like crazy at the moment because they intend to alliviate these awful rosters. Is there any truth to that?
Im being flown over to Dubai for the 4 days of testing in February.
I was excited before I started reading these posts. Now I'm a bit concerned at having no life and being uphappy for 5 years.
I heard that Emirates pilots work hard, but I heard from someone, and so I want to confirm it on here, that they are trying to change that.
I was told that they are hiring like crazy at the moment because they intend to alliviate these awful rosters. Is there any truth to that?

Blue in 2006 a fella called TCAS told us that rosters and leave would improve by the end of the year. At the beginning of this year a fella called JA said leave and rosters would be fixed by summer. We are uncertain by which summer he meant. But I hope you see a common theme.

Join Date: Jan 2004
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Blue
They're hiring like crazy to expand again, not to improve the rosters. At least thats my idea. Hopefully its what you say....
During the selection they will paint a beautiful picture. Think again before you sign anything.. Your choice of course.
N.
During the selection they will paint a beautiful picture. Think again before you sign anything.. Your choice of course.
N.

Blue, in a recent pilots meeting there was an acknowledgment of sorts that the exodus of pilots from EK is indeed happening, when pressed our chief guinness taster stated the case and then explained that "experts" were being consulted. On receipt of this information one individual with clearly more common sense than most..or perhaps a more finely tuned BS filter based the question, "why get experts, when you could just ask the pilots?" This rather sensible question inspired a good degree of vitriol from said guinness taster and confirmed that nothing is going to change fro the better...EVER.....nada..........zilch.
Up to you.
Up to you.

Join Date: May 2001
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Blue. Good luck in whatever you decide. It really is no one's business what you do when you decide. We have all of us different reasons for doing anything in life.
There has been a shortage of pilots for a long time. Airlines, where possible, don't want enough pilots. My comment is based on what I was told by a former colleague who is still there. He was told by a former DCP that policy was to be short of pilots. He attended a wash up 4 years ago, where JA stated it would get worse (guys were very upset then) before it would get better, and when it got better, it would be as bad as it was then. In the time intervening, they actually stopped hiring for a while.
You should be able to make your own judgement based on knowledge available to you on the company media. The bond now is 5 years instead of 3. The recruitment video emphasises lifestyle instead of career - ? You can ask to speak with people, and have your questions prepared, rather than their questions answered.
Have you heard of the term, 'island fever'. Once you're on the island, and you find you don't like it. How do you get out? I'm not suggesting that you'll be happy or sad there. However, once there!!
There has been a shortage of pilots for a long time. Airlines, where possible, don't want enough pilots. My comment is based on what I was told by a former colleague who is still there. He was told by a former DCP that policy was to be short of pilots. He attended a wash up 4 years ago, where JA stated it would get worse (guys were very upset then) before it would get better, and when it got better, it would be as bad as it was then. In the time intervening, they actually stopped hiring for a while.
You should be able to make your own judgement based on knowledge available to you on the company media. The bond now is 5 years instead of 3. The recruitment video emphasises lifestyle instead of career - ? You can ask to speak with people, and have your questions prepared, rather than their questions answered.
Have you heard of the term, 'island fever'. Once you're on the island, and you find you don't like it. How do you get out? I'm not suggesting that you'll be happy or sad there. However, once there!!

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Dubai, UAE
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I'd be very careful when making the decision to join EK at the moment. As much as I badly want people to join to improve my 90-100hrs rosters there are several factors that would make me think hard about signing with EK;
- EK is on the verge of losing money at the moment - as per the half year results
- EK is inmerse in a transformation process to get back (or close) to its past profitability, this is translating at the moment in thousands of job losses and benefits reductions - not affecting pilots directly at the moment but, who knows?
- Age restrictions for command upgrades and massive slowdown in expansion mean that if you are in your mid twenties (and probably regardless of your age) your upgrade will take 10-13 years, and remember... very hard to get another decent job without current PIC hours
My advice would be to wait until dust settles. Maybe by the end of 2017 things look clearer. Flight Ops seems to be putting a bit more effort nowadays to improve things for pilots too - let's see if there are any positive developments in the following months.
- EK is on the verge of losing money at the moment - as per the half year results
- EK is inmerse in a transformation process to get back (or close) to its past profitability, this is translating at the moment in thousands of job losses and benefits reductions - not affecting pilots directly at the moment but, who knows?
- Age restrictions for command upgrades and massive slowdown in expansion mean that if you are in your mid twenties (and probably regardless of your age) your upgrade will take 10-13 years, and remember... very hard to get another decent job without current PIC hours
My advice would be to wait until dust settles. Maybe by the end of 2017 things look clearer. Flight Ops seems to be putting a bit more effort nowadays to improve things for pilots too - let's see if there are any positive developments in the following months.

Join Date: Nov 2003
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EK are hiring, not specifically because they are expanding, not to replace retirees, it is clearly to replace the large amount of pilots that are leaving the desert. Why would they have offered the BIG shiny jets to our propeller friends if it wasn't out of the necessity to get pilots in seats, no matter what the experience of those who join.
The bond went from 3 years to 5 years as new hires were coming and leaving sooner than expected. The bond is a pair of financial handcuffs to those who join and who will undoubtedly be out of pocket already with the move to the desert.
When you come with a family, the children will make friends, as will your wife and you will become miserable with many hours on the back of the clock turnarounds. When you decide the job is not for you, the heartache you will again cause your family by moving from one country to another will strain family relationships further.
Car loans gone? Living out allowance gone? Reduced hotel allowances. Hours increased. Lack of leave. 50C weather daily during the summer. Lack of school places. Forced staff economy travel with young children. Unhappy workforce. Huge delays to commands and many many more issues.
The consideration to come to the desert just now should not even be thought of as a consideration, more as a desperation. There are many who still come and pretty quickly the honeymoon is over and the BIG jet doesn't seem so shiny when it's viewed mainly at night.
Never come to EK and say you are unhappy. I am sure almost every new hire reads these pages and those who have been in the company a while are fed up with the moaning and will just reply with the likes of, "you were warned".
Happy 2017 fellow aviators.
J
The bond went from 3 years to 5 years as new hires were coming and leaving sooner than expected. The bond is a pair of financial handcuffs to those who join and who will undoubtedly be out of pocket already with the move to the desert.
When you come with a family, the children will make friends, as will your wife and you will become miserable with many hours on the back of the clock turnarounds. When you decide the job is not for you, the heartache you will again cause your family by moving from one country to another will strain family relationships further.
Car loans gone? Living out allowance gone? Reduced hotel allowances. Hours increased. Lack of leave. 50C weather daily during the summer. Lack of school places. Forced staff economy travel with young children. Unhappy workforce. Huge delays to commands and many many more issues.
The consideration to come to the desert just now should not even be thought of as a consideration, more as a desperation. There are many who still come and pretty quickly the honeymoon is over and the BIG jet doesn't seem so shiny when it's viewed mainly at night.
Never come to EK and say you are unhappy. I am sure almost every new hire reads these pages and those who have been in the company a while are fed up with the moaning and will just reply with the likes of, "you were warned".
Happy 2017 fellow aviators.
J
