DUBAI, UAE 3 September 2025: Emirates has announced new appointments to its commercial leadership team as it ramps up its network, fleet and products for its next era of growth. 

The newly created roles, which include Senior Vice President, Network Passenger Sales Development and Vice President for Passenger Sales – Regional Clusters will support the airline's regional growth and market expansion ambitions, drive integrated performance across markets and segments, as well as foster key corporate relationships to drive long-term passenger growth, build market share and revenue. 

As part of the newly established commercial leadership structure, two seasoned Emiratis have been appointed to lead key market clusters. These strategic appointments reflect the airline's ongoing commitment to cultivate exceptional UAE National talent and develop the next generation of industry leaders.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline commented on the recent appointments: “Emirates stands at a pivotal moment in its evolution as we scale up our network and deepen our engagement across an increasingly diverse range of markets and consumer demographics. This period of dynamic growth calls for leaders with the right commercial knowhow and the thinking to navigate our complex and evolving industry landscape, so that we can capitalise on emerging opportunities and cement our position as the airline of choice for global travellers. I’m particularly proud that two of the top roles will be led by UAE Nationals who have demonstrated their leadership excellence, and we’re committed to building a robust pipeline of homegrown talent to drive our continued growth.”

Commercial Appointments

Matthew Scott will lead Emirates’ Network Passenger Sales Development (NPSD) team as Senior Vice President, overseeing the airline’s Global Sales & Leisure teams. He was previously Vice President of Cargo Pricing and Interline at Emirates SkyCargo. Matthew began his Emirates career with SkyCargo in 2018 and has more than 20 years' experience with international airlines holding key positions in passenger commercial operations, revenue optimisation and planning, including Head of Corporate and Leisure Sales and Head of Commercial Strategy.
 
Emirates has also made the following senior appointments within its commercial team:

• Abdulla Al Olama has been promoted to VP Regional Clusters for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Abdulla previously held the role of Senior Regional Manager Commercial Operations Far East and has also managed commercial performance in the Far East, West Asia and Indian Ocean. He joined Emirates in 2012 and has worked across the commercial organisation, including teams in Interline, Codeshare and Revenue Optimisation.
• Rashid Alardha has been promoted to VP Regional Clusters Sub-Saharan Africa. He was previously Country Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives. Rashid joined Emirates in 2009, and since then has gained extensive country management experience across eight countries in the Middle East, Africa, Far East, West Asia and Indian Ocean.
• Flavio Ghiringhelli has been promoted to VP Regional Clusters for South and Central Europe. He joined Emirates in 2018 as Country Manager Italy, bringing a wealth of senior leadership experience in corporate sales, commercial strategy and business development across aviation, hospitality and tourism.
• Pierfrancesco Carino will join Emirates as VP Regional for West and North Europe Clusters later this month. He brings 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, omnichannel distribution, revenue management and strategic partnerships from various airlines. Pierfrancesco has previously worked for Emirates in Commercial Sales in France.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Passenger Sales and Country Management is spearheading the new teams and structure.

Wejhaty, meaning ‘my destination’ in Arabic, was officially opened by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, in the presence of executive leaders and employees.

HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “The Emirates Group’s next era will witness unprecedented global growth, right here from our Dubai hub. Powered by the sharpest minds and the latest technology, we’re reshaping and redesigning our organisation to gear up for this growth. Our focus is firmly on our own people, who are our biggest brand ambassadors and advocates. Their safety, security, career development, professional wellbeing, and personal journeys are top priorities for us. Wejhaty will set new signature standards of service and excellence in people experience – for our employees, their families, new joiners, and those aspiring to be a part of the Group.”

Spread across a sprawling 22,770 sq.ft. space, Wejhaty is no ordinary employee lounge or one-stop shop. The space can serve 500 people at any point in time, 1,200 a day, and it aims to create an inspiring and welcoming space that reflects the Group’s people ethos. The focus is on elevating employee experience with streamlined solutions, advanced technology, and seamless, highly responsive services.

A personal touch is central to customer-focused organisations like the Emirates Group, which is why visitors to Wejhaty will be greeted, served and guided by friendly, supportive concierge service attendants.

Employee journey

In the bright, airy and spacious centre, employees and their families have access to the complete range of services – including biometrics, Dubai Health’s medical fitness tests and medical x-ray – plus HR, IT, payroll and cashier services. Wejhaty also houses third-party international visa services to cater to employees’ wanderlust and minimise pre-travel stress.

While parents are being served, their tiny tots can have a whale of a time, supervised by a nanny, in an imaginatively designed space packed with toys, merchandise and entertainment.

Teams within the Group have access to an amphitheatre-style, modular auditorium that can hold around 100 people – ideal for team-building activities, projects and training sessions. The auditorium houses high-tech audio-visual solutions, directional sound waves, online environmental data capture, and scalable technical capabilities.

Candidate journey

Candidates, both internal and external, can enjoy an integrated and stress-free experience as they meet the Group’s recruiters in state-of the-art spaces, including 19 discussion rooms that can accommodate 116 people at a time. Two assessment spaces that can host 46 people are where pilots, cadets and other specialist roles have dedicated facilities and advanced technology for simulation- and computer-based assessments.

Senior executives, cherry-picked for roles in the Group, will be welcomed in a tastefully appointed executive lounge, and in high-end meeting rooms offering the latest presentation tech.

New joiners’ journey

Highly specialised and fully immersive spaces will engage new joiners in the rich culture, powerful values, lifestyle and the future vision of Dubai and the Emirates Group.

Art installations and social spaces, including Emirates’ renowned Business Class seats fully kitted out with recycled materials from the airline’s retrofit programme, add touches of glamour and drive home the Group’s ethos on sustainability. Cool and modular seating dotted throughout the lounge, a pantry, lockers, and fashionable dressing rooms for uniformed employees, complete Wejhaty.

Wejhaty can host 400 candidates for interviews and assessments, 100 new joiners for corporate induction, and serve 700 employees and their family members every single day. Every year, on average, the Group processes 46,000 employee ID cards, 30,000 medical fitness tests, 8,200 UAE biometric registrations, and 3,400 X-rays for new joiners. Thousands of aspiring candidates are assessed at the Emirates Group headquarters annually.

DUBAI, U.A.E – 22 October 2024:   Recognising the importance of health and wellbeing in sustaining a productive and happy workforce, the Emirates Group has been wholeheartedly supporting and participating in the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) since its early days, inspiring its employees to embrace fitness and lead healthier lifestyles.

The momentum continues every year, with over 51,000 Emirates Group employees in the UAE having participated in the annual fitness festival since 2017, clocking in millions of minutes and calories burned through physical activity, as well as attending thousands of fitness classes.

The Dubai Fitness Challenge is set to start in just four days, and the Emirates Group is once again encouraging its workforce to participate and complete 30 minutes of exercise every day for 30 days, or 30X30, with an added incentive for all eligible participants who complete the challenge receiving one free flight ticket to anywhere on the Emirates network.

Dubai-based employees can kick off the month-long celebration of wellness with an endless choice of free classes across the city, participate in sporting events and group workout sessions, participate in the world’s largest community sporting events – Dubai Run and Dubai Ride - or continue with their favourite fitness activities as they make every stride count towards their own health and wellness goals.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive for Emirates Airline & Group said: “The Emirates Group has been a long-standing supporter of the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Over the years, Emirates has activated well-known global teams and leagues we sponsor to raise global visibility for the event, organised friendly challenges to demonstrate employee camaraderie and team spirit, and have organised a diverse schedule of fitness events, trainings and classes fully run by our teams, collectively contributing to Dubai’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most active cities.”

His Highness added: “As a company that cares, we prioritise the health and wellbeing of our workforce as a valuable investment. Throughout the year, we run a gamut of employee wellness programmes, support our employee sports clubs and promote policies that align with our people’s health goals and interests.  This fosters a culture of health, helps our brand to stand out and supports our recruitment and retention efforts, laying the foundation for a stronger and more resilient business.”

Emirates Group’s ‘Sehaty’ programme (which means ‘my health’ in Arabic), runs year-round physical and mental health awareness campaigns, preventative screenings, and health and wellbeing roadshows and webinars. A number of teams from across the Group help spearhead Sehaty initiatives, including Emirates Group Medical Services, Clinical Psychology, the Group’s Employee Assistance Programme, Peer Support, Group Safety and Human Resources. Highly trained medical professionals from the Group’s Medical Services team regularly support health and wellbeing campaigns by distilling complex concepts into accessible, actionable knowledge for employees to integrate into their work and personal life.

There are also more than 30 different sports and hobby clubs, and lifestyle activities managed and run by Emirates Group employees throughout the year ranging from football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, cricket, cycling, rugby, snowboarding, scuba diving and skydiving, amongst other sports. Recognising the importance of the clubs as part of its culture of health, The Emirates Group offers paid leave, travel support and funding to employees who represent UAE national teams as well as the organisation itself, at major sporting events, including inter-airline tournaments.

During DFC, employee fitness experts hold free classes across the Group’s facilities, and teams can avail special discounts and offers at participating Dubai-based health clubs and gyms. Throughout the month and across the year, employees regularly receive supportive health, nutrition, fitness and mental health tips and tricks.

As a brand with a rich sports sponsorship portfolio, employee sports enthusiasts have been fortunate to experience once-in-a-lifetime, money-can’t-buy moments over the years, which include the Group’s women’s basketball team shooting hoops with NBA legend Isiah Thomas as part of the airline’s global partnership announcement with the league; the Group’s cycling team testing their physical skills and endurance against world champion UAE Team Emirates during the opening of the 2018 Dubai Fitness Challenge; one of the members of the Group’s sailing club swapping jobs with Sir Ben Ainslie, top Olympic sailor and Driver of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team for a day; and nine lucky Emirates Group cricket teams taking part in a mini-match on the DXB tarmac, umpired by Indian international cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, to kick off the Emirates sponsored ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021.

 The Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) runs from 26 October to 24 November 2024.

Emirates’ commercial operations executives and teams manage vital customer, partner and stakeholder relationships, meet revenue targets, and serve as active ambassadors for the airline across its strong network spanning 138 destinations in 80 countries.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Passenger Sales and Country Management will continue to spearhead the team and the new structure, which will commence from 1 November. Three of the top six roles below are led by Emirates’ long-serving UAE Nationals.

• Thierry Aucoc, currently Senior Vice President (SVP) Commercial Operations Europe and Russian Federation, will become SVP Commercial Operations (West), covering Europe and the Americas.
   
• Adil Al Ghaith, currently SVP Commercial Operations Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia, will become SVP Commercial Operations (Centre), covering Gulf, Middle East and Africa.
   
• Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, currently Divisional VP (DVP) USA & Canada, will become SVP Commercial Operations (West Asia & Indian Ocean).
   
• Matthew Jones, currently Regional Sales Manager USA, will become VP USA, and report to Thierry Aucoc.
   
• Orhan Abbas, SVP Commercial Operations (Far East), and Barry Brown, DVP Australasia, will continue to lead their current regions.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Our Commercial Operations teams have a crucial role to play not only at our Dubai hub, but across the expanse of our growing network. As our ambassadors, they have deep knowledge of local market dynamics and a sharp understanding of our customers with a view to delighting them and our other key stakeholders every single day. By strengthening our global portfolios with these executive appointments, our aim is to be future fit, elevate customer satisfaction, refuel our business, and reenergise our markets. I wish our commercial leaders every success in their new or expanded roles.”

Earlier this month, Emirates had announced several new appointments in its commercial team across key markets in the Middle East and Africa. This year, the Emirates Group has made two major announcements on promotions and senior appointments across the organisation – in July it included 7 UAE nationals among others, and in February, the Group promoted 19 executives including 8 UAE nationals and 6 women. 

EFTA’s flight instructors are eligible to join Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, as a First Officer after completing five years in the training role. After these trainers are trained to fly the world’s largest and all wide-body fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, they can expect to join the airline’s 4,400 strong pilot community – a golden opportunity which is a rarity for the industry.

Capt Abdulla Al Hammadi, Divisional Vice President at EFTA said: “We celebrate our flight instructors – who are among the most experienced and committed in the industry – on this World Teachers’ Day. They are the backbone of the academy and have a significant impact on shaping the personalities and success of our cadets. Not just on technical skills, but our instructors are inspirational mentors and coaches who impart soft skills such as leadership, situational awareness, decision making, adaptability and communication. Flight instructors have the distinction of fostering the next generation of pilots, one of the most highly prized roles in aviation.”

Muhammad Bilal Pasha, First Officer at Emirates is the first-ever flight instructor who transitioned to the airline. He said: “Being a flight instructor at EFTA was more than just teaching – it was about inspiring the next generation of pilots to chase their dreams with passion and resilience. As I now step into my role as a First Officer at Emirates, I carry with me the pride of watching those dreams take flight, knowing the sky is just the beginning. The opportunity for growth provided by EFTA has enabled me to grow my wings in commercial aviation. I will now see the world, thanks to EFTA and Emirates’ vast network.”

Ian Harrington, Deputy Chief Theoretical Knowledge at EFTA said: “At EFTA, we have the unique ability to mentor the future of aviation, not only through flight training, but through academic rigour that inspires the next generation of pilots to explore and conquer the skies. I feel proud to be a part of an academy that empowers its teachers.”

With Emirates’ and EFTA’s planned growth trajectory, both the airline and the academy are inviting experienced and passionate instructors to join their teams. EFTA currently has a strong team of 43 highly qualified flight instructors from 23 nationalities, while Emirates has a team of 520 from 53 nationalities.

EFTA is welcoming instructors who have a minimum of 700 hours, and a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) with a single engine class rating. Candidates must have an exceptional instructional technique and an understanding of a broad range of teaching methodologies. To know more about the eligibility criteria and to apply, click here.

Those who wish to join Emirates as a flight instructor must hold a CPL, an ATPL or a MPL (Multi-crew Pilot License) and have experience as an active instructor/examiner for a minimum of 12 months, along with 1,500 hours flight time as a pilot on multi-crew aircraft. To know more and apply, click here: Boeing and Airbus.

EFTA is one of the most advanced pilot training facilities, offering one of the best cadet programmes in the world. The academy opened its doors in 2017 to train cadets with no previous knowledge of flying. Today the academy combines cutting-edge learning technologies and a modern fleet of 29 training aircraft including Cirrus SR22 G6, Embraer Phenom 100EV and Diamond DA42-VI.

Located at Dubai World Central, EFTA’s state-of-the-art facility, is spread over 12.5 million sq. ft equivalent to 200 football pitches. With over 1,800 metres of runway, exclusive to the facility, and a dedicated Air Traffic Control Tower, flight instructors have access to the most advanced infrastructure and technology to train cadets.

Emirates’ cutting-edge pilot training facility currently houses 10 full-flight simulators for A380s and 777s. The airline’s new US$135 million pilot training academy with an area of 63,318 sq.ft. will accommodate six Full Flight Simulator Bays (FFS) for its A350s and 777X aircraft.

Flight Instructors will work and live in dynamic Dubai, which is a global transportation and aviation hub. Please visit www.emiratesgroupcareers.com to learn more about life in Dubai and at the Emirates Group.

The rotation will enable seasoned outstation managers, including six UAE Nationals, to further enhance Emirates’ commercial capabilities in their respective markets by bringing in their expertise during a pivotal period of growth and expansion for the airline.  

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer commented: “Our long-serving commercial managers have played integral roles in Emirates’ global operations over the years, and today’s appointments demonstrate our confidence in their continued contributions to strengthen our business across the GCC and Africa.

I wish the commercial managers all the success in their new roles and have full confidence in their ability to further thrive as Emirates’ ambassadors in our outstations.”

From1 October, the following commercial managers will assume these roles:

• Abdulla Adnan: Formerly Manager Tanzania, will become Manager Morocco
• Cathrine Wesley: Formerly Country Manager Ghana and Ivory Coast, will become Manager Algeria
• Fahad Al Hassawi: Formerly  Manager Oman, will become District Manager Dharan and KSA Eastern Province
• Khalfan Al Salami: Formerly  Manager Morocco, will become Manager Kuwait and Iraq
• Omar Alhemeiri: Formerly  Manager Algeria, will become Manager Tanzania
• Saood Al Aqili: Formerly  District Manager Dharan and KSA Eastern Province, will become Country Manager Ghana

Emirates is also pleased to announce the promotion of Khalid Al Zarooni, currently Manager Kuwait and Iraq, to Emirates’ Vice President, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

National Commercial Outstation Programme

Emirates places competent and ambitious UAE talent in key leadership positions across markets in its network through the National Commercial Outstation Programme, equipping them with unmatched industry knowledge and world-class skills that allow them to contribute to the airline’s growth ambitions. The programme further aims to develop a strong pipeline of future Emirati leaders, fully capable of supporting the Emirates Group’s global businesses and the UAE aviation sector.

Dubai, UAE, 28 August 2024: The Emirates Group is proud to celebrate the contributions of Emirati women, and the vital work they do to advance excellence across aviation and travel in the UAE. Watch the video that highlights the diverse careers of talented Emirati women across the Emirates Group.

Emirati women are forging their career paths across a variety of business functions at the Emirates Group and building the foundations for a talent pipeline to support the next generation of aviation professionals. Approximately 38% of the Group’s Emirati workforce consists of women, and in the last financial year, the organisation welcomed a record number of Emirati women to its workforce. This further reinforces the Emirates Group’s commitment to integrating Emirati women in the UAE’s growing aviation sector, where they are empowered with the right skills, competencies and expertise, allowing them to thrive and reach their full potential.

The Emirates Group also marked another milestone this year, achieving 20% growth over the previous year for the number of Emirati women appointed in leadership roles. Today, more than 200 Emirati women hold leadership positions in the organisation, contributing to growth across a gamut of business functions. In March 2024, the Emirates Group announced the promotion of five Emirati female leaders to senior executive roles in key Human Resources and Commercial Support departments.

From senior executives to outstation managers and even heads of departments, the Group continues to equip Emirati women with industry-leading resources to hone their leadership skills and grow their career prospects. Over the last 20 years, the Emirates Group has provided mentorship and training programmes for Emirati female professionals to boost their professional growth and career mobility with access to leadership programmes including the Rolls-Royce and Airbus Leadership Programmes, GE Aviation Programme, among others. Emirati females in leadership positions at the Emirates Group also have the opportunity to enrol in the INSEAD Women Leaders Programme, empowering them to lead with impact and create lasting professional change through their leadership journey. More than 70 Emirati women have completed one or more of these programmes in the last 12 months. Last year, Emirates also sponsored three Emirati female employees to pursue their postgraduate education abroad in three of the top 100 ranked universities worldwide.

In the last year, the Emirates Group also inked a number of strategic partnerships with UAE-based and international organisations including Nafis, Microsoft, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and PwC Academy to deliver bespoke training and development programmes for the Group’s Emirati workforce. Through these programmes, Emirati women are provided additional tools and resources that support their career advancement and advance their workforce contributions.

The Emirates Group is also a launch partner of Aurora50’s women's networking initiative, NOORA and is a signatory of the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge, reinforcing its commitment towards female representation and advancement in the organisation.

Emirati women also have opportunities to contribute beyond their job roles, with 55% of the Emirates Group’s Emirati Youth Council consisting of women who hail from different departments across Emirates and dnata businesses. Their work with the Youth Council provides broader exposure to ground-breaking discussions and activities that align with the Emirates Group’s core values, further inspiring their peers.

As an employer of choice, the Emirates Group continues to invest in the UAE national workforce by creating jobs for those seeking careers in travel and aviation. The Group’s Rehlaty strategy aims to attract, train, develop and retain Emirati talent, in line with the UAE’s Emiratisation agenda. As part of this strategy, the Emirates Group has also launched a series of internship, high school and graduate programmes that have successfully onboarded hundreds of Emiratis including ambitious and skilled women over the last two years. UAE nationals interested in careers at the Emirates Group can visit: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/uae-nationals/

Last year, Emirates introduced the service for Business Class passengers on its busiest routes including Hamburg, and has since expanded the offer to more points in its global network. Emirates‘ Business Class customers can now pre-order in-flight meals on flights departing from Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich and Duesseldorf. The service is now available on more than 100 routes worldwide. To date, more than 135,000 pre-orders have already been delivered on over 30,000 flights. Every day, more than 400 meals are pre-ordered by Emirates‘ customers.

From 14 days up to 24 hours before departure, guests can view the menu for their flight online at emirates.de or via the Emirates app and choose from a range of regionally inspired dishes with local ingredients. Special Meals, which cater for dietary, religious or nutritional preferences, can also be pre-ordered.

Emirates‘ culinary offerings for the Business Class passengers flying between Germany and Dubai include grilled veal chop with green pepper sauce, grilled courgettes, caramelised fennel and Anna potatoes with herbs, roast chicken with thyme and garlic, served with chicken jus with truffle oil, celeriac puree, red herb potatoes, pearl onions and blanched broccolini or fish tahta with pan-fried grouper in Emirati spices, served with buttered rice and fried onions as a main course. Passengers can also choose from over 300 vegan dishes in the changing menu, such as roasted cauliflower with ancient grains, lovage pesto with caramelised pear or ragout of Asian tofu and shitake mushrooms with glass noodles.

The pre-orders are added to existing AI-supported data for tracking customer preferences and information from the cabin crew, which enables the menu planning, the optimal loading of the aircraft with food. On board, cabin crew use a specially developed app to view the meal selection and serve the guest the desired dish. The new offering is a further service initiative for digital passenger convenience when travelling.

Emirates‘ customer service excellence extends both on ground and on air

In addition to check-in via website and app, the option of a digital boarding pass and itinerary management, Emirates‘ customers can access digital menus in advance, register for the Skywards frequent flyer programme or create a personal playlist of films, series and music tracks for in-flight entertainment ahead of their flights, which is synchronised with the personal screen using the app.

Adnan Kazim commented: “Today’s graduation ceremony demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our UAE cadre of country managers who have skilfully honed their international relations, leadership, negotiation and diplomatic knowledge over the course of the last year. I’m proud to see 32 capable Emirati managers celebrate the culmination of all their efforts developed in partnership with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) to represent the UAE and Emirates with distinction across our network.” 

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri stated: “We are immensely proud to congratulate the graduates of the Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme. This milestone reflects the successful collaboration between the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and Emirates Group. By equipping these talented managers with essential diplomatic and leadership skills, we are preparing them to be exemplary representatives of both Emirates and the UAE on the global stage. Their achievements underscore our shared vision of fostering a generation of leaders who will drive the UAE's strategic objectives and strengthen our nation's international presence.” 

The Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme ran in two phases. Phase one, hosted in 2023 over five days, provided participants with curated training in International Protocol and Etiquette, Global Trends & Issues, Negotiation & Influencing, UAE Economics and Commercial Diplomacy, Media Handling, and Communication and Intercultural Awareness. These training sessions aimed to equip Emirati managers stationed around the world with the necessary skills to represent the Emirates brand, while building and managing relations with local stakeholders and government bodies, as well as the wider aviation ecosystem, including airports and trade partners in various markets. 

Phase one received an 88% satisfaction rate for its relevance, training materials and content from the participants of the first cohort. Phase two of the programme, hosted in 2024 over three days, provided country managers with intensive, practical training in Media Skills and Etiquette Practices. The objective of these training sessions was to further build confidence and provide managers with a deeper understanding of how the media works, while also enhancing their communication skills and ability to formulate key messages in line with Emirates' commercial and brand objectives. 

The Emirates Group announced its collaboration with AGDA in January 2023 to launch a training programme for the airline’s Emirati Country Managers to enhance their diplomatic skills. This initiative is part of the Group’s Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme and supports Emiratis who have joined Emirates Group’s National Commercial Outstation Programme, which places ambitious and talented UAE Nationals in strategic roles across the Group’s global markets. This allows them to gain broader exposure, expand their network connections, and become more accomplished leaders. 

About the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA): 
The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) is a globally recognised diplomatic centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It delivers accredited academic programmes and high-impact executive training to develop future diplomats, as well as the government and business leaders of tomorrow. AGDA brings together an intellectual community from the world of diplomacy, academia and research. As a respected and evolving regional think tank, AGDA produces research that advances knowledge and capabilities relevant to the UAE’s foreign policy objectives. The Academy is a producer of leading resources, including indices and publications. Learn more at: http://agda.ac.ae/ 
 

Since its first flight to Vienna in 2004, Emirates has been a familiar sight in the skies and an integral part of the Austrian aviation industry. Emirates celebrated its first successes in Austria Under Martin Gross’ leadership, who retired in 2022 passing the baton to Elisabeth Zauner, current Country Manager Austria. Thanks to the consistent high demand, the Vienna-Dubai route was served after just four years with the Boeing 777-300ER, the largest passenger aircraft at the time. With 14 weekly non-stop flights from Dubai to Vienna, Emirates offers holiday and business travellers seamless connectivity to Dubai and beyond to over 140 destinations in its global network. The airline has so far carried more than 5 million passengers on over 20,500 flights with between the two gateways.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Emirates’ operations in Austria. For two decades, we have continuously expanded our offerings to provide a world-class experience and seamless global connectivity for Austrian travellers, together with our partners. We’ve seen many positive changes and interesting shifts in the travel and aviation industry since we launched our flights to Vienna, and look forward to continuing our journey with new and exciting innovations for years to come." Said Elisabeth Zauner.  

Emirates’ marked the 20th anniversary in Vienna by incorporating a touch of Austrian tradition. The anniversary flight was welcomed at Vienna International Airport by a Viennese dance performance from the school Svabek, which has also performed during the opening of the Vienna Opera Ball for years. Five professional dance couples performed a classic Viennese waltz formation to the tunes of "Rosen aus dem Süden" by Johann Strauss.

Emirates also gave away a very special thank you to all Emirates Skywards members who travelled with the airline in May, with a chance to win one of 20 Tier Upgrades, where Emirates Skywards membership status is automatically increased by one tier (from Blue to Silver or from Silver to Gold).

In 2014, the Emirates A380 made its first regular landing in Vienna on the occasion of the airline's tenth anniversary in Austria. Capt. Markus Ausserhofer, had the honour of piloting the world's largest passenger aircraft on its maiden flight at the time. Capt. Markus is now Manager Compliance Monitoring Flight Operations at Emirates.

"The landing in Vienna was an unforgettable moment for me, when I realised the scale of the event for the first time. The memory of the many cheering spectators remains with me to this day. It seemed as if every person at Vienna Airport was waiting for my arrival. I was and am grateful that as an Austrian and an A380 pilot I was able to be part of this event," said Markus Ausserhofer, still full of enthusiasm.

Just two years later, the A380 was allowed to fly regularly to and from Vienna, setting new standards for commercial flights at Vienna Airport. From then on, Emirates has been serving Vienna with its largest passenger aircraft - the A380 and the Boeing 777-300ER - offering over 1,000 travellers the opportunity to fly to destinations all over the world every day.

Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, is proud of the long-standing partnership: "Emirates has brought a breath of fresh air to Austria. With the regular use of the A380, the only one of its kind in Vienna, the airline has created a milestone in airport development and a highlight for passengers and aviation fans. Emirates' commitment to first-class service meets our own high standards, and we greatly appreciate this quality. Congratulations - we look forward to many more years of good cooperation."

Since 2004, Emirates SkyCargo has also been transporting freight to and from Vienna in the cargo hold of the two daily passenger aircraft. A total of around 120,000 tonnes of freight have already been transported to Vienna and around 129,100 tonnes from Vienna with Emirates SkyCargo. Export goods from Austria mostly include electronics, pharmaceuticals or crystal goods and are delivered to markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Emirates SkyCargo now transports 31 tonnes of freight per day between Vienna and Dubai, and from there to destinations all over the world.

To minimise waste, Emirates’ Engineering team tasked themselves to find a way to repurpose the fabrics from the Economy Class seats of 22 Airbus A380 aircraft that have completed the retrofit process. From these aircraft, 5,205 kilograms of scrap materials were recovered, including seat fabric of 95% wool and 5% nylon composition with a flat weave structure, sourced from Germany and Ireland. The materials were identified as ideal for upcycling due to their durability and non-flammable nature, and a decision was made to make high quality backpacks for children in need.

In the workshop at Emirates Engineering, a dedicated team of tailors creatively designed a whole range of backpacks, for children of different ages and worked with the Emirates Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand team to identify charitable entities, schools, orphanages, and foundations, where the bags are set to be distributed in the coming months.

Emirates’ teams spent weeks researching bag styles, ensuring the bags are safe and comfortable for children to use and fit for purpose. Across all the individual designs, all fabrics are freshly laundered in a facility, then further deep cleaned by hand, leather-conditioned for the leather accents featured on some bags, and thoroughly disinfected before being sewn into unique pieces. Brand new lining is added to the bags, along with functional zippers and adjustable straps. The result is a range of sturdy, quality bags which Emirates will make-to-order for worthy causes across Africa and Asia.

Emirates produces the backpacks by hand in the Emirates Engineering workshop where a team of tailors - officially titled as Engineering Maintenance Assistants, are responsible for assembling and stitching the bags. Their roles normally involve fixing any tears in the interiors of Emirates’ vast aircraft fleet, but now many of these tailors are also putting their skills towards the production of schoolbags for students across Emirates’ network.

Ahmed Safa, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President for Engineering, said: “We are so proud of our people at Emirates and their commitment to this initiative. Countless hours have been invested into making these bags for children; it’s a true passion project for our diligent team. We’ve even had volunteers within the larger company come forward and offer to help with the project, there is a huge appetite to contribute and support entities in need. It’s also a testament to Emirates’ commitment to constantly evolve our environmental efforts and examine all aspects of our products and supply chains. For this project, our aim is to turn what would have been waste, into prized possessions.’

The world’s largest ever known retrofit project is a multibillion-dollar investment from Emirates, which kicked off in August 2022 with the intention of fully re-fitting 191 aircraft and elevating customer experience. This includes 110 Airbus A380s and 81 Boeing 777 aircraft, which together have the potential to provide up to 50,000 kilograms of waste fabrics. As and when the aircraft are furnished with new fabrics, there is also scope to recover the excess ‘cut off’ materials for repurposing and upcycling.

From the 22 Airbus A380 aircraft that have been completely retrofitted, materials from First and Business Class cabins such as leather, aluminium, and wool have already been repurposed. The Aircrafted by Emirates range is a limited-edition capsule collection of luggage launched in November 2023 and designed in-house by Emirates Engineering, which sold out in a matter of weeks. Proceeds from the first sale of the not-for-profit collection Aircrafted by Emirates amounted to more than 70,000 AED, and after minimal operational cost deductions, were donated to Emirates Airline Foundation supporting humanitarian projects around the world.

Managed entirely by Emirates’ Engineering team, the retrofit is a considerable project that will take years to complete and provide multiple opportunities for upcycling. This will see 21,814 Economy Seats installed, 8,104 brand new Premium Economy seats installed, 1,894 First Class suites refurbished, over 11,182 new generation Business Class seats installed, as well as the opportunity for more creative upcycling initiatives to be launched.

Is language a barrier? Never on an Emirates flight. With over 70 languages fluently spoken by its 22,000 cabin crew, passengers feel understood and comforted throughout their journey.

Fun fact: around 1,000 Emirates cabin crew members are fluent in four or more languages. That valuable skillset not only helps them assist passengers from all over the world, but also adds a bit of pizzazz to inflight announcements. A few crew members are also proficient in sign language and the airline provides resources, encouraging crew to acquire the basic skills.

The airline embraces the diversity of its cabin crew community of over 140 nationalities as a cornerstone of its identity, setting a global standard for inclusivity in the industry. The nuances of managing diversity are manifest in many ways. As an example, the iconic red lipstick worn by cabin crew members is not a one-shade-fits-all. A diverse palette of shades match every skin tone, ensuring crew feel comfortable and confident about their appearance.

Emirates cabin crew are given specialised training tailored for specific routes, equipping them with the skills to cater to diverse cultural preferences. Whether it’s mastering the art of serving meals with bento trays or wielding chopsticks, crew ensure an authentic and seamless customer experience. Cabin crew also learn about culinary flavours from all corners of the world, are trained to prepare, plate and serve regionally inspired meals – whether its Kaiseki on Japanese routes, Arabic Mezze in the Gulf or Moqueca to Brazil.

The crew are trained in preparation for the Holy Month of Ramadan, and understand the specific onboard products, the sensitivities around customers who may be fasting, and how best to accommodate their special needs. Last year, Emirates cabin crew celebrated over 15 major festivals onboard – Eid, Oktoberfest, Christmas, Holi, Diwali, Lunar New Year and many more – and served traditional cuisine and sweet treats the authentic way.

In the past couple of years, more than 29,000 Emirates cabin crew and airport services employees globally have completed the ‘Introduction to Autism and Hidden Disabilities’ training. The course covers a range of topics, including recognising autism, responding with empathy, and provides practical tips on how to assist passengers with hidden disabilities.

What crew say

Melissa Brathwaite from Barbados summed up her nine years at Emirates: “I’ve always wanted to be a part of the Emirates crew community and wanted to represent Barbados as well. We’re such a small country and Emirates is the world’s largest international airline, so it really means the world to me to be able to come this far and represent my country and travel the world while doing it.”

Fabian Bluecher, from Germany said: “I always wanted to work on an A380, and Emirates gave me the opportunity to fly to such a wide network on it. I also really enjoy going out with my colleagues especially when we fly to Frankfurt, my home turf. This way I can show them our culture, food and how we celebrate life.”

Russian cabin crew, Margarita Zhibika shares her inspiration to join Emirates: “For me it’s the small things that really matter. I love this job because you can help so many people in so many different ways. Once on a long-haul flight, a new mother was exhausted, so we offered to take care of her baby while she rested. All we did was colour and play with him, but the mother woke up so happy and fresh. Those small things matter.”  

Life at Emirates

Emirates’ cabin crew embody a cosmopolitan and vibrant lifestyle in one of the world’s safest cities, Dubai. Cabin crew are known to form lifelong friendships and close-knit bonds with their colleagues, fostering better teamwork, a common sense of purpose and a shared service philosophy.

All new cabin crew undergo an intense 8 weeks of training in the highest standards of hospitality, safety and service delivery in Emirates' state-of-the-art facility in Dubai. They gain invaluable transferable life skills gained by working with a diverse crew community while experiencing new destinations and cultures across the Emirates network.

This year, the world’s largest international airline is recruiting more than 5,000 cabin crew from over 460 cities. For aspiring cabin crew, the opportunity to join Emirates is one recruitment event away. To learn more about the requirements, benefits, training programme, global recruitment events calendar and to apply, visit Emirates cabin crew careers page here.

The expansive range of Spanish-manufactured, 100% leather male and female shoes, offers a variety of heights, widths, shapes and styles, ensuring comfort, style and fit for every foot. The latest edition of the female shoes and matching leather handbag are a brighter red colour than before, which complements the pleat of the skirt and the trim of the uniform. During the historic establishment of Emirates Airline in 1985, the very first shoes to be worn by Emirates cabin crew back were red, which changed to brown for a while, and then back to the signature red. Now female crew receive two pairs of red leather shoes every year– flat cabin shoes and a choice of medium or high heels. Male crew receive new leather shoes every nine months.

The Emirates uniform has had many iterations over the years, and the current design was unveiled on 28 July 2008 during the ceremonial handover of Emirates' first A380 aircraft at the Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany. The Emirates in-house team designed the uniform, in collaboration with Simon Jersey, a leading UK manufacturer of uniforms.

Designed in the shade of warm sand, the Emirates cabin crew uniform symbolises the desert dunes of the region, while the iconic red hat sports a gold pin showcasing the Emirates logo. Gold is an important part of the look of the Emirates brand, featuring on the very first Emirates livery and chosen because of its association with Dubai. The pin logo is designed in elaborate Arabic calligraphy and the defining feature of the cabin crew hat is an elegantly draped cream chiffon scarf, symbolising the local culture. The veil itself has seven pleats and legend has it, these pleats represent the seven Emirates of the UAE. The male version of the uniform includes a brown suit, with red trim, complemented by a cream shirt and striped tie.

Comfort, stain and crease resistance are priorities for uniforms, to ensure they stay immaculate and impeccable even after long-haul flights. Emirates’ uniforms are also designed to be adaptable to different climates, which is vital for cabin crew who may work anywhere in the world, potentially switching between the hot temperatures of Sao Paulo in Brazil to the winter cold in Moscow.

Emirates also provides female cabin crew with a scrunchie in the signature red shade for the range of elegant hair up-styles crew they may choose. To complement the uniform, female cabin crew wear a signature make up look synonymous with the brand, featuring flawless skin, a perfect red lipstick and naturally defined eyes. Emirates male cabin crew are required to be clean shaven, with neat hair.

As part of continued investment into the world-class cabin crew experience, Emirates launched ‘The Emirates Beauty Hub’ in Dubai to help crew to maintain their health, wellbeing and uniform standards. The immersive beauty experience offers an in-house team of consultants with whom cabin crew can book personalised appointments to learn about make-up application, nutrition, fitness, skincare, haircare tips, or attend the complimentary group events and masterclass’ series.

In addition to empowering all recruits to best represent the iconic Emirates brand, the world’s largest international airline offers cabin crew the opportunity to travel to over 130 cities across 76 countries. Emirates cabin crew enjoy a wide array of world-class benefits including a tax-free salary, hotel stays, free accommodation, transportation to and from work, medical, life and dental insurance coverage, and discounted flights for the cabin crew and their family and friends, amongst many others.

Emirates are actively recruiting cabin crew from around the world. For aspiring Emirates cabin crew, please check www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/cabin-crew for details and open day schedules in your city or country.

On the back of its incredibly successful financial results and profit share, the airline is hosting a series of exclusive events in Dubai for those eager to be a part of its iconic cabin crew community. The five-star invite-only events, designed exclusively for those who live and work in the UAE, are open to all nationalities.

To be shortlisted for the events, all aspirants need to do is check-out the eligibility criteria and fill in a simple online application form here.

Top 5 reasons to become an Emirates cabin crew:

1. Travel for work with friends: Emirates’ crew fly to and explore more than 130 stunning places spanning six continents – from the Americas to Australasia. They experience the rich tapestry of cultures, food, lifestyles, history, terrain, and insights that shape their personalities and make them future fit. Crew from 140 nationalities work together as a team and forge friendships for life.

2. Relish pay and perks: cabin crew enjoy a competitive salary, flying pay, layover expenses and are eligible for profit share. Their wanderlust is supported with annual leave, annual leave flight tickets, and deeply discounted tickets for themselves, dependants, wider family, and friends, which make for memorable holidays. Excellent medical, dental and life insurance cover, transport to and from work, and free laundry services for uniforms make life stress-free. In Dubai, crew stay in furnished accommodation, and during layovers across the globe in 4- to 5-star hotels.

The FACE card, exclusively for cabin crew, and the Emirates Platinum card available to all employees, offer a range of exclusive privileges and discounts across thousands of brands, retail stores, clubs, hotels, resorts, and much more, locally and globally.

3. Learn skills for life: Onboard, Emirates’ cabin crew are not just renowned for their best inflight service, they’re the champions of safety, security, and medical emergencies. New recruits learn leadership and life-saving skills in Safety & Emergency Procedures, essential first aid in Group Medical Training, observational and industry insights in Security sessions. They receive skincare, nutrition, and wellbeing advice in the Image and Uniform sessions, and are coached on the pillars of Emirates’ hospitality and award-winning onboard food and beverage offering in Service training.

Crew have access to a host of learning and development opportunities at the Emirates Training College, on LinkedIn Learning and on the internal Future Skills portal. In 2023-24, 18,600 Emirates Group employees worldwide upskilled themselves with courses. MIRA, the extended reality virtual training for crew, unveiled during Dubai Airshow 2023, is a game changer.

Those interested in higher education and doctorate programmes can get their degrees and PhDs at a discount with Emirates Aviation University, the region’s premier aviation-related academic institution.

4. Climb the career ladder: cabin crew have planned and personalised career paths as their performance promotes them from Economy to Business to First Class teams and onwards to leadership roles as Cabin Supervisors and Pursers. Once crew decide to hang up their wings, many find success in ground roles as trainers, cabin crew management, recruiters, and in roles across the organisation.

5. Be recognised and rewarded: like all employees at the Emirates Group, cabin crew are recognised for their outstanding contributions and for being inspirational role models. Many are proud recipients of the Najm Chairman’s Awards – the highest honour at the Emirates Group, and regularly receive Najm certificates and cash prizes for their heroic efforts.

In 2023-24, the Emirates Group awarded 21,000 Najms worth AED 2 million.

Emirates currently has 22,000 cabin crew members and are looking to recruit 5,000 in this financial year. For more information on Emirates’ cabin crew work and life, click here.

First Officers – non-type rated

Emirates is welcoming First Officers who are non-type rated – which essentially means those who have experience only on turbo prop or jets. These pilots will now have the opportunity to be fully trained to fly the airline’s all wide-body fleet of 144 Boeing aircraft across its network that spans more than 140 destinations. First Officers will also be able to fly 205 of the new Boeing 777-Xs when these aircraft enter the fleet from 2025.

Accelerated Command Programme for Boeing 777s

Emirates has now extended its Accelerated Command Programme (ACP) to its fleet of Boeing 777s – which so far was reserved for its ever-popular A380. This is an incredible opportunity for motivated captains flying narrow-body aircraft to graduate to wide-body on Emirates’ fast track promotion programme.

Direct Entry Captain – A350 fleet

The airline is now calling for Direct Entry Captains (DEC) to command its highly anticipated A350 fleet of 65 aircraft. As an added incentive, Emirates has also increased the base salary for the new recruits on both the A350s and A380s. Deliveries of the A350s will start mid-year and serve both new and existing destinations. The airline continues to welcome DECs for its fleet of A380s.

First Officers 

Emirates is offering enhanced salary packages for First Officers with experience of over 4,000 flying hours on modern Airbus fly-by-wire or Boeing aircraft.

Interested pilots, who would like to learn more about the various flight deck roles, can get more info on entry requirements here.

Today, Emirates has over 4,400 pilots. In 2023, the airline recruited over 420 pilots with its recruitment programmes – Direct Entry Captains, Accelerated Command, and First Officers.

Life at Emirates

Emirates regularly renews and refreshes its fleet – whether via orders for the latest wide-bodied aircraft or retrofitting its existing ones. Emirates pilots enjoy flying the world’s most modern fleet of 260 all wide-body aircraft of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. From the world’s highest mountain peaks, and over oceans, volcanoes, forests, deserts, even the Aurora Borealis, they see it all as they fly to diverse destinations across the airline’s network spanning six continents and over 140 destinations.

Emirates pilots undergo evidence- and competency-based training programmes in-house with highly skilled instructors in specially designed environments. Its cutting-edge training facility houses 10 full-flight simulators for Boeing 777s and Airbus 380s.

Last year, the airline announced an investment of US$135 million to build an advanced training facility to accommodate six Full Flight Simulator Bays (FFS) for its A350s and 777X aircraft. The brand new, 63,318 sq. ft. facility is slated to open later this year.

Pilots at Emirates receive a competitive tax-free salary, are eligible for profit share, and are provided spacious villas in gated communities, education allowance, and excellent life, medical and dental cover. They also have access to a world-class provident fund and receive regular and complimentary financial advice.

Pilots enjoy chauffeur-driven transport to and from work, laundry services, 42 days annual leave and enjoy concessional cargo and discounted travel benefits for their family and friends.

Emirates’ pilot community is based in Dubai, one of the safest, most vibrant, multicultural and tech-savvy cities in the world. Major annual sporting events, a full range of lifestyle activities, first-class hospitality and dining, spectacular attractions, international schools and hospitals and excellent infrastructure all come together to make Dubai a city of choice for millions of expatriates.

Recruitment drive

As Emirates continues along its massive growth trajectory and prepares to start taking delivery of its 65 A350s on order from mid-year and its mix of 205 777-9s and 777-8s in 2025, the airline is revving up its pilot recruitment drive. In 2024, Emirates’ recruitment team will host roadshows in more than 26 cities in over 18 countries.

The changes to eligibility criteria and salary packages represent a step forward in its commitment to attracting the best talent globally and ensuring a perfect customer experience on every single journey.

To checkout the eligibility criteria and apply for pilot roles, click here: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/

 Prioritising the resumption of sporting activities to support local communities, the team at the Sevens Stadium, along with their suppliers and partners collectively joined hands a day after the rains to quickly restore and rehabilitate damaged areas at the venue. Cleaners, landscapers and other partners helped the Sevens Stadium teams clear waterlogged areas and debris, as well as revive pitch lawns. The durability of structures across the stadium withstood high winds and sustained minimal damage and were quickly restored for public use.

 By Thursday, the Sevens Stadium reopened with most of the site able to accommodate cricket, rugby and football matches along with other sporting activities, and food and beverage venues were ready to welcome guests. Over the course of the next four days the stadium hosted over 136 hours of training sessions and fixtures across 8 of its sport pitches and cricket ovals. This is in addition to the Gulf Open Cup, an international youth football tournament, a corporate touch rugby tournament for 350 people of which 85% of participants came from outside the UAE, multiple 11v11 football club matches, two international women’s’ cricket matches from four countries, senior men’s, women’s, boys and girls semi-final rugby fixtures, and regular local team cricket matches. Regular mini and youth rugby practice matches also resumed by Saturday and Sunday with over 2,500 people attending onsite.

 In total, over 5,500 people came through the Stadium’s doors since reopening and another 7,000 people will be heading to the world-class venue this upcoming weekend for community-based sports events like the Youth Football League (YFL), Dubai Amateur Football League (DAFL), Japanese Football Club Dubai Blue matches and training, DASSA School Rugby Finals, Dubai Hurricanes and Exiles training, netball matches and over 20 local T20 cricket matches.

The Sevens Stadium is an active contributor to Dubai’s vibrant sports scene, hosting a dynamic calendar of community sports including cricket, football, rugby, netball, and other sports at its various courts, fields and pitches.  The Stadium has established itself as a best-in-class choice for local and international events and teams looking for world-class facilities in Dubai and across the region.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President, and Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates said: “We take pride in developing exceptional Emirati talent within our workforce and are committed to supporting their career progression and advancing their leadership capabilities. Through the new rotation, six prospective leaders will be well-positioned to capitalise on opportunities and overcome industry challenges in their respective markets. I’m confident that our newly appointed managers will not only gain new experiences, but also use their existing knowledge and skills to support our current and future strategies as we continue to expand our global operations.”

Emirates’ commercial team members assuming new roles, effective immediately, include:

• Mohammed Alqassim: previously Country Manager Cyprus, has become Country Manager Cambodia
• Ahmad Tamim: previously Country Manager Ivory Coast, has become  Country Manager Cyprus
• Adnan Almarzooqi:  previously Commercial Support Manager South Africa, has become  Country Manager Ivory Coast
• Mohamed Taher: previously Commercial Support Manager Egypt, has become  Manager Uganda
• Sultan Alriyami: previously Manager Taiwan, has become Area Manager Hong Kong
• Nasser Bahlooq: previously Area Manager Hong Kong, has become Manager Taiwan

Through its commercial outstation program, Emirates strategically cultivates opportunities for UAE Nationals to expand their skill sets and expertise across a range of roles. The programme also aims to support the professional growth for the airline’s Emirati workforce while also enabling them to build meaningful and long-term connections with business partners and stakeholders across its network.

The Group launched its very own Gender Balance Council to represent all its women employees, create a knowledge sharing platform, and advance the cause of gender balance. On the council’s agenda are mentorship programmes, professional development workshops, outreach and events that champion women in the workforce. A key focus will be to support the Group’s existing commitments, including the UAE Gender Balance Council pledge, the NOORA network, UN Global Compact principles, and IATA’s 25x2025.

Today, Group employees were treated to talks by Liz Wiseman, bestselling author of multiple leadership books, including Multipliers, and CEO of leadership research firm, the Wiseman Group. Liz left her audience with valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance their leadership skills.

The Emirates Group’s gender balance strategy is three-pronged: equal pay and fair compensation; equitable recruitment, development, and promotion; and balanced policies, inclusivity programmes and initiatives. The Group’s pay and remuneration structures are free of gender bias.

The Group has long been an employer of choice, and its appeal is clearly growing among women from Gen Z and Millennials to experienced professionals. As of 1 March 2024, women in the Group workforce -

• increased by 1% to 26,896 or 43% of the workforce, of which 1,240 are UAE Nationals
• represent
  • 39% of middle management and 15% of executive management
  • 56% of new joiners and 55% of those promoted
  • 50% of movements from middle to senior management level
  • 67% of lateral moves
  • 1,218 roles, of which 462 roles have only women
• account for 26% overall of leadership and management training, which includes partnerships with premier institutions such as Global Business Consortium, INSEAD and top universities. INSEAD for Emirati women leaders is designed to help them build networks with professionals worldwide.
• continue to enjoy their careers at the Group after becoming mothers as post maternity leave, 88% of women overall and 85% of cabin crew returned to work.
• were recognised for their achievements – 3,659 women or 30% of total employees rewarded

The key initiatives that showcase the Group’s commitment to achieve gender balance and women empowerment include:

UAE Gender Balance Council pledge: signed in January 2023 to achieve 30% women in the workforce and increase female representation in middle to senior management by 2025.

NOORA, Aurora 50: signed a two-year partnership with Aurora50 and is one of the cofounders of NOORA, a network of women from diverse professional backgrounds who support like-minded, ambitions individuals.

UN Global Compact (UNGC): In April 2023, Emirates and dnata joined UNGC and reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Four women employees represent the Group in in the UNGC’s Target Gender Equality accelerator programme.

IATA 25x2025 – dnata signed this initiative in 2021 and have rolled out a range of programmes – from career development workshops and mentoring to maternity coaching for return to work, a mum’s support group and more.

The Group has also rolled out unconscious bias training to minimise employees’ hidden prejudices, launched a chapter of the global movement #IAmRemarkable to amplify women’s stories, a Women in Leadership (WIL) forum and Women in the Emirates Group community. All these initiatives take members on a journey of discovery, knowledge and discussion with speakers, webinars, workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Not just its employees, the Group goes beyond borders to protect, educate and empower girls in economically disadvantaged areas. The Emirates Airline Foundation supports the IIMPACT Girls Education Project, which is dedicated to transforming the lives of women, families and communities in the most remote and rural areas of India by empowering girls through education. IIMPACT educates girls in over 1,100 villages in 11 states of India, and now has more than 4,200 girls enrolled at its learning centres. The Foundation fully funds operating expenses of Saint Rita de Cassia Orphanage, which houses more than 96 orphaned 4 to 12-year-old abandoned girls in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

- 6 women added to the Group’s senior executive ranks

Dubai, UAE, 22 February 2024 – Emirates Group has announced a slate of senior appointments as the organisation readies itself for its next phase of growth, promoting 19 executives including 8 UAE nationals, and 6 women.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “Keeping pace with Dubai’s vision for growth and prosperity, the Emirates Group has also set clear and ambitious plans for fleet, network, and business growth for the next 15 years. To effectively execute these plans, the Group is strengthening its executive bench, together with internal business and operational alignment. I am pleased to announce these senior appointments, all of whom are long-serving leaders within the organisation who continue to contribute to the growth and success of Emirates and dnata.”

During the 2-hour sessions, cabin crew attending the recent complimentary masterclasses were offered advice on how to create a perfect base for make-up, with skincare that keeps the skin hydrated while travelling. Make-up artists then helped the attendees to select the right shades and products for their complexion, while talking about the latest trends for brows and blush, and top tips to create the signature Emirates look; glowing skin, naturally defined eyes and the essential ‘Emirates red’ lip.

As part of continued investment into the world-class Emirates Cabin Crew experience, Emirates Beauty Hub is open 5 days a week serving more than 21,000 cabin crew based in Dubai. The immersive beauty experience offers an in-house team of consultants with whom cabin crew can book personalised appointments to learn about make-up application, nutrition, fitness, skincare, haircare tips, or attend the complimentary group events and masterclass’ series.

In addition to empowering all recruits to best represent the iconic Emirates brand, the world’s largest international airline offers cabin crew the opportunity to travel to over 150 cities across 85 countries. Emirates cabin crew enjoy a wide array of world-class benefits including a tax-free salary, hotel stays, free accommodation, transportation to and from work, medical, life and dental insurance coverage, and discounted flights for the cabin crew and their family and friends, amongst many others.

Emirates are actively recruiting cabin crew from around the world. For aspiring Emirates cabin crew, please check www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/cabin-crew for details and open day schedules in your city or country.

The Group’s diverse workforce encompasses more than 160 nationalities, united by a sense of belonging and shared purpose, contributing to the achievement of the vision set by the UAE’s leadership. Watch here highlights from the Emirates Group's flag-hoisting ceremony. 

The Emirates Group marks the UAE Flag Day every year on 3 November, in honour of the accession of the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan as President of the UAE in 2004 and continuation of the nation’s development journey.

Emirates has already invested more than AED 32 million into the initiative and began giving out Apple devices one year ago. Today, more than 7,000 Emirates crew members use iPhone across 450 daily flights in the global network. In the coming months, an additional 5,000 cabin crew will receive iPhone and iPad featuring new apps and features that build on the successful deployment.

Emirates in-house Service Delivery and IT teams conducted an extensive user research campaign with cabin crew before designing and building a range of native, custom-built apps to revamp the user experience for cabin crew and to ensure passengers receive the world class service experience expected from Emirates. Feedback to date shows that Apple products are empowering cabin crew to feel better prepared at work and enabling them to offer highly personalised service to passengers.

Custom-built applications include an app to improve the inflight meal order-taking process in Business Class, ensuring swift and precise service and allowing cabin crew to see each passenger’s profile and Skywards status. Another app ensures cabin crew can access up-to-the-minute roster and flight information, view seat changes and upgrades, and an overview of which cabin crew are onboard. By providing a 360-degree view of passengers, Emirates cabin crew can access critical real-time information and are equipped with the tools they need to perform at their best, personalising each customer’s experience to an unprecedented degree, even providing information such as dining and drinks preferences and onboard loungewear sizes - if used on prior flights.

The One Device initiative also enhances cabin crew performance and safety standards by ensuring they can access 24/7 support globally, including a team of specially trained experts at Emirates Dubai hub, as well as via Apple Support. Enhancing safety onboard, cabin crew can check official processes at any time, via remotely updated operational manuals and use One Device as a platform for continuous education through micro-learning. Emirates Cabin Crew are permitted to use the iPhone for personal use and their private data is protected.  

Apple products support the demanding operating environment of Emirates cabin crew with many functionalities including fast charging, an extended battery life, lightweight design, and premium build quality. Additionally, Apple’s industry leading security protects customer and cabin crew information, protecting both the guest and employee’s privacy by leveraging the security built into the device, authenticating user identity with secure Face ID, and removing the flight information once the journey is completed.

The rollout of One Device has been supported by an in-person experience zone at Emirates Headquarters in Dubai, a 24/7 one-stop-shop for cabin crew to query hardware and operating software issues, access Emirates application support, fulfil their device accessory needs and more.

Ambitious Emiratis with various academic backgrounds and at different career stages can now join The Emirates Group’s UAE National Talent Acceleration programme and benefit from four unique opportunities that offer exceptional professional development.

Take off Internship Programme

This programme offers selected students from top global universities internships for up to 12 months, providing them with exciting opportunities to gain professional experience, training and mentoring. The programme will allow students to build connections that contribute to their future career development, including an Alumni network post internship. Interns will undertake various assignments across the Emirates Group to hone their skills and receive periodic performance evaluation and feedback sessions.  More information can be found here.

International Bachelor Scholarship Programme (for September 2024 admissions)

This programme offers full academic scholarship to top performing high school students in specific subjects at major universities in the UK and US. Upon completing the programme, graduates will receive a Bachelor’s degree and career opportunities within the Emirates and dnata Group of companies globally. Students will receive full support from the Emirates Group throughout the programme’s duration including consistent mentorship, as well as accommodation and medical insurance, to help encourage them and fuel their passion. Admissions will start in September 2024, and the programme will be open for application later this year.

Fly High Graduate Programme

This  36-month global management trainee programme is for top local and global university graduates, offering both on-job training and curated training courses in aviation. Members of Fly High will participate in a range of projects across the Emirates Group including airline Operations, Commercial and dnata, in addition to an international assignment. After completing the programme, the talents will be placed in leadership roles and provided further development to power them with a strong network, and tools to become decision makers in the industry.  More information can be found here.

Master Scholarship Programme

This offers full-time scholarships to UAE National employees of the Emirates Group accepted into Masters Programmes at top universities. It supports the Group’s long-standing Emiratisation strategy (Rehlaty) by ensuring consistent growth of the Group’s UAE talent, and providing even more learning opportunities for them to progress their careers.   

The UAE Talent Acceleration Programme expands and enriches the range of UAE National development programmes under the Emirates Group’s Emiratisation strategy (Rehlaty). The Group’s Emiratisation team continually reviews and introduces new initiatives to attract, develop, and retain talented UAE Nationals and make the Emirates Group an employer of choice - from leadership programmes and skills training to internal rotation opportunities; and external opportunities such as scholarships and internships.

Emirates’ commercial team members assuming new roles, effective from 1 August, include:

• Chandana De Silva, currently Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives, will be appointed as Manager Government Liaison Sri Lanka and Maldives
• Rashid Al Ardha, currently Country Manager Singapore & Brunei, will move to a new post as Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives
• Rashed Alfajeer, currently Country Manager Iran & Central Asia, will take on the role of Country Manager Singapore & Brunei
• Mohamed Alhammadi, currently Area Manager Bangladesh, will become Manager Iran & Central Asia
• Jaber Mohamed will be appointed as Area Manager Bangladesh
• Majid Al Falasi, currently Manager Sudan, will move to a new role as Manager Vietnam

Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer for Emirates Airline said: “We are proud of the calibre of talented UAE Nationals who make up our workforce and it is our objective to continue investing in their career development. By cultivating a wealth of expertise amongst our talent, we are creating a strong pool of future leaders who can seize opportunities and navigate challenges within the industry. We are confident that in their new roles, Emirates will be well-represented outside of our homebase, and the team will continue to serve our customers and deepen relationships with partners, in addition to enhancing our competitiveness in Emirates’ key markets.

“This rotation is part of our long-established commercial outstation managers programme, with a track record spanning over 25 years, that has groomed many UAE nationals to date. I’ve personally started my Emirates career through this programme, and firmly believe that the experience gained by our team in different markets and varied commercial roles is invaluable to the company’s objectives, and also for our managers’ professional growth. It also supports the UAE’s strategic economic vision of creating a knowledge-based economy powered by skilled Emiratis and contributes to the advancement of the UAE aviation sector.”

One of many career paths offered by the Emirates Group to UAE nationals, the Emirates commercial outstation programme supports the airline’s objective to develop the skills and careers of UAE Nationals in its talent pool. The programme offers UAE Nationals the opportunity to gain exposure across the airline’s diverse commercial operations and build the skills necessary for future leadership positions. To support the future expansion plans of the airline, the Emirates Group ensures a steady pipeline of future commercial managers by continuously recruiting UAE National fresh graduates to join the programme. In its steadfast commitment to its Emirati talent and investment in their career development, the Emirates Group also recently began a collaboration with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) to equip its UAE national managers stationed around the world with vital diplomatic skills under its Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme.

Both organisations have signed an agreement to develop an immersive Extended Reality (iXR) platform and capability for the Emirates Group’s cabin crew, new joiners, and the wider industry partner community. 3D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulated experiences – all this and infinitely more are in the offing as the Group adds on ground-breaking features and technology to the platform.

iXR, powered by AWS spatial computing and artificial intelligence, will deliver technical capabilities with photorealistic experiences. Designed to meet employees on their stomping grounds, iXR experiences will be available across next-gen wearables and hand-held devices, including tablets and mobiles, with a consistent, hi-fidelity experience, streamed from the cloud.

In the first phase, iXR will have three distinct capabilities – a collaborative hub and social space; cabin crew training; and employee onboarding.

An Emirates Virtual Hub will welcome employees to engaging and interactive brand experiences.

iXR will introduce an unparalleled 3D interactive experience to the airline’s award-winning cabin crew by leveraging advanced technology to create a truly immersive environment. Here, crew will be transported into a meticulously constructed digital universe with virtual classrooms, engage with and learn from seasoned facilitators and peers, and navigate the intricate interiors of the airline’s flagship A380s and Boeing 777s. The environment will feature cabin service trainers, photorealistic avatars, and spatial audio for an authentic, sensory experience that enhances Emirates’ hospitality ethos.

The hyperreal virtual world will enable the Emirates Group’s new recruits to quickly and visually learn more about the organisation and its extensive business, the people and its culture, their own roles, and living in Dubai. Embedded support services will create a seamless onboarding experience for successful candidates.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “The Emirates Group is synonymous with innovation and for always setting the bar high in the aviation industry. Our vision is to build a meaningful, practical and rewarding XR capability that takes advantage of AI’s evolution. We are using XR capability that is scalable and spans across the breadth of our Group’s brands and businesses. In the first phase, iXR will help cabin crew interact and familiarise themselves with the platform in an interactive, high-fidelity 3D environment which they can explore at their convenience, leading to greater knowledge transfer and employee satisfaction. During this phase, we will also develop our employee experience using iXR to seamlessly assimilate our people within the Group’s business, community and culture.

“iXR, which is on-track for launch later in the year, will establish us as the first and only airline with an embedded extended reality platform connecting its operations. It reflects our commitment to spearhead and entrench innovation and cutting-edge technologies in aviation for the benefit of our customers, communities and the industry.”

Al Opher, VP of Professional Services, AWS said: “Extended Reality (XR) is a rapidly emerging technology that will propel the aviation industry into the future. It will have a profound impact on training, design, and innovative service propositions in safe environments that are immersive, performance-oriented, and efficient. We are thrilled to support the Emirates Group’s transition into the 3D Web era by offering expertise in infrastructure, AI, and spatial computing solutions as well as our AWS Professional Services colleagues - global experts in these fields - to bring this technology to life. This collaboration will further equip Emirates employees to deliver unique and consistent end customer experiences. Together, we are revolutionizing the travel industry and raising the bar for new, exemplary experiences.”

iXR will feature advanced technologies including Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D tool, offering developers flexible, scalable, secure, and reliable real-time capabilities on AWS' cloud.

Dubai and the UAE are blazing the way in the digital economy with a clear vision, supported by practical policies and regulatory frameworks across virtual assets, AI, and data protection.

The Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 is being repurposed as a hub to develop cutting-edge future experiences aligned with the UAE’s vision for the digital economy. The Emirates Group continues to engage with industry partners on its Web3 strategy, and recruit talent for projects in its pipeline.

Emirates pioneered web virtual reality (VR) technology on emirates.com and its app more than 6 years ago, offering an immersive 3D, 360-degree view of its aircraft cabin interiors. Emirates also has its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users accurate, life-size and interactive cabin interior experiences onboard Emirates’ flagship A380s and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.

More than 24,000 cabin crew and ground staff globally have completed Emirates ‘Introduction to Autism and Hidden Disabilities’ training. The online course was first launched in 2022 and covers a range of topics from the UAE National Policy for People of Determination, recognising autism, practical tips on how to assist passengers with hidden disabilities, responding with empathy, and information on the official support systems to help passengers in the airport.

Categorised as a hidden disability, autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Known as a spectrum disorder because there are wide variations in the types and severity of symptoms people experience, a range of sensory needs can occur. For some travellers, the airport and aircraft experience may feel too noisy, too bright, too unfamiliar, or too busy – and these are some of the areas in which Emirates is striving to facilitate planned and positive travel experiences, for customers with autism.

Before the journey begins

Information in advance

Emirates supports passengers with hidden disabilities by providing as much information in advance as possible, so that families can plan, rehearse, and be reassured about their upcoming travel. Passengers can check the Accessible Travel page on Emirates.com for information and contact their Emirates local office with queries.

Free Seat Selection and Bulkhead Seat for autistic passengers and companions

Passengers who declare a hidden disability will be facilitated as much as possible in the complimentary selection of suitable seats, for example the bulkhead seats at the front and middle of the aircraft for both the autistic passenger and their companion. This can be requested via Emirates local office.

Book with ‘DPNA code’ for extra support

A DPNA is an airline industry code for special service request (SSR) for a ‘passenger with intellectual or developmental disability’. The DPNA code can be applied to a booking made in person, via telephone or travel agent and is applied once the hidden disability is declared, so that the passenger will be supported throughout their journey with assistance from trained staff.

Study the ‘Autism Friendly Guide’ to Dubai International Airport

Emirates has collaborated with Dubai International Airport on a comprehensive pre-travel planning tool for passengers with hidden disabilities. The Autism Friendly Guide to Dubai International Airport provides a step-by-step explanation and images of every part of the journey through the airport to boarding, and details what services are available.

Pre-order meals

Some passengers may need a special meal onboard if they have a sensory sensitivity. This can be ordered a minimum of 24 hours in advance on www.Emirates.com or on the Emirates app. There are options to order gluten free meals, bland meals, vegetarian and diabetic meals. For Kids Meals, families who are travelling with an autistic passenger may contact the Emirates local office with their request in advance.

Pre plan what to watch on ice via Emirates app

Download the Emirates app, and before a flight - passengers can spend time planning and pre-selecting their favourite movies, TV shows or music playlists. Once the passenger has boarded, their personally curated playlist can be synced immediately to ice, saving time and enabling them to settle into the flight with the comfort of familiar content.

Arrival to airport

Complimentary parking for 2 hours

People of Determination get complimentary parking in all terminals in Dubai International Airport for 2 hours. People of Determination taxis can also be booked via Dubai Taxi on their toll-free number 80088088.

Collect the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally recognised symbol for hidden disabilities. Emirates staff with Sunflower pins are easily identifiable and specially trained to assist travellers with hidden disabilities. Passengers are encouraged to declare their hidden disability to these staff and collect a Sunflower Lanyard to wear or bring their own from home, allowing for support throughout the airport journey. The sunflower lanyard can be collected from the information desk in Departures, Terminal 3 and from dedicated, easily identifiable collection points in Terminals 1 and 2.

Autism Friendly Route

The Autism Friendly Route through Dubai International Airport (DXB) ensures that People of Determination (POD) can move through the airport with a dedicated route. It includes access to priority lanes for check-in, passport control, security and boarding; and can be availed when wearing the sunflower lanyard. Specially trained staff equipped to support POD travellers will be easily identifiable wearing sunflower pins, allowing for increased visibility, communication and support throughout the airport journey.

Priority boarding or board last if preferred

People who have declared their hidden disabilities to Emirates staff will be facilitated in boarding the aircraft first if they choose, or last if this more convenient.

Emirates Inflight Experience

Families with children are seated together

Emirates makes every effort to seat families with children together, and passengers who have declared their hidden disability will be seated beside their companion or guardian.

Noise cancelling earphones

Passengers with an aural sensory need in First and Business Class will have access to noise‑cancelling headphones to block out ambient cabin sounds. Travellers can also bring their own Bluetooth enabled headphones if preferred.

Light Sensitivity

If the customer, child or family member informs Emirates cabin crew about a light sensitivity, cabin crew can turn off the passenger’s individual light, close the window blind after take-off, and explain that the cabin lights will be dimmed as soon as the meal services are completed. 

Get busy with puzzles in Fly with Me magazine

Young children onboard who need a screen break or distraction can request a copy of the Emirates ‘Fly with Me’ activity pack, with its own pack of non-toxic colouring pencils, featuring kid-friendly world maps, puzzles, drawing tutorials, colouring pages, educational activities about Dubai and protecting the environment.

Choose your entertainment on ice

Passengers enjoying an Emirates flight can pass the time in a world class entertainment library with more than 5,000 channels of on demand entertainment, over 1,900 movies and 1,500 hours of TV, as well as music, podcasts and audiobooks across 40 languages, 5 channels of live TV including news from BBC, CNN and Sky News Arabia, and two channels with live sport coverage- Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra. Ice also has up to 100 video games, which can be played by two players in different seats -  if the game is a multiplayer game.

Emirates continues to collaborate with multiple stakeholders including Dubai Airports, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police, Dubai Autism Centre and Dubai Economy and Tourism to improve the travel experience for passengers with hidden disabilities and is committed to working to help create a world where neurodivergent individuals feel accepted, represented, included, empowered, and heard. World Autism Awareness Day takes place annually on April 2.

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Dubai, UAE, 8 March 2023: The Emirates Group today concluded an exciting National Service Career Fair, which started on 6 March 2023 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, with more than 600 applications received throughout the three days, reemphasising the organisation’s position as an employer of choice for UAE Nationals.

The Group’s participation in the sixth edition of the National Service Career Fair is part of its rigorous campaign to attract competent Emirati talent that will support its business acceleration and projected expansion. More than 200 graduates visited the Emirates Group’s interactive stand on the first day alone to browse through the offered opportunities including the National Cadet Pilot Programme, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering License programme (AMEL) and Customer Service roles.

Cadet Pilot Programme joiners will receive the unique opportunity to train at the Emirates Flight Training Academy’s state-of-the-art facility for four years, before qualifying to fly for the largest international airline, Emirates. High school graduates who have enrolled in AMEL will undergo theoretical and practical training at the Emirates Engineering Training College to receive their higher diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering attested by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) upon completion of the programme. The new Customer Service professionals will also receive 12 months of on-job and classroom trainings upon joining, to help ease them into their roles amid accelerated global operations.

The Emirates Group’s unwavering commitment to integrating Emirati capabilities is reflected in its robust Emiratisation strategy, where a team of specialists and professionals attract and recruit UAE Nationals across diverse business areas and functions, while also providing the roadblocks for their career progression through bespoke trainings and various development programmes.

Over 3,000 Emiratis are currently employed in a variety of roles across the Emirates Group including pilots, engineers, IT professionals, data analysts and commercial managers. The Group is also working towards generating more unique roles for UAE Nationals in emerging fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to help further the UAE’s ambitions for science, technology and innovation. With more than 30% of Emiratis across the Group in leadership roles, there are no efforts spared in creating a pipeline of aviation professionals who are equipped with adept skills and valuable expertise to take forward the UAE leadership’s vision and contribute to its aviation sector and economic growth, further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a world-class air transportation hub for trade and tourism.

To explore the current vacancies and programmes available for UAE Nationals, interested candidates are encouraged to visit emiratesgroupcareers/UAENationals.

Women at Emirates Group

More than 23,000 women are employed by the Emirates Group, representing 41% of the total workforce employed at Emirates worldwide and dnata in the UAE. This sizeable number has been on an upward trajectory in 2023 and active recruitment continues. Currently almost 40% of middle and senior management positions across non-operational grades are held by women at Emirates Group.

Emirates recently demonstrated its commitment to gender balance by officially signing the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge, supporting the UAE government’s efforts to increase female representation at middle to senior management positions by 2025. The pledge supports the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal to achieve gender equality, empowering all women and girls. As part of the pledge, Emirates agreed to support the UAE Gender Balance Council’s work by sharing data and best practices, as well as maintaining an ongoing internal review of company policies, practices, and procedures.

Pay Equity

As the world’s largest international airline and one of world’s largest air services provider, Emirates and dnata are renowned as one of the best companies to work for in the UAE. Emirates Group pay and benefits structures are free from gender bias, with remuneration offered based on skills and experience, regardless of gender or nationality.

Record Promotions for Women

Celebrating thriving careers, women at Emirates Group account for 56% of total promotions in the last 12 months, the highest figure to date. Emirates Group has many women in leadership roles who have received multiple promotions and worked with the company for more than a decade.

Access to World-Class Training

Emirates Group employees have access to a vast range of educational courses and learning opportunities, as well as in-person training on a range of topics. This International Women’s Day, all employees are being directed to the ‘Unconscious Bias’ learning path on the newly launched Emirates ‘Future Skills’ portal. The bespoke learning journey designed by Emirates, is available to all colleagues and has 6 modules including Break the Bias, Valuing Intersectionality, Women’s Voices, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Allyship and Culture of Belonging. The Human Resources department is leading the way with over 500 HR employees starting the learning journey, and over 70% completion rate so far. Women also have access to a suite of Executive Leadership programmes and the opportunity to complete international educational qualifications, financially supported by the company.

Celebrating Achievements

In addition to promotions, employees can be rewarded with Najm awards - a programme recognising outstanding contributions across the Emirates Group. The aim of Najm is to enhance a sense of belonging and appreciation, enabling employees to feel energised, inspired and empowered to achieve meaningful goals. Najm awards give Emirates Group employees options to redeem cash prizes, travel vouchers, gift cards and more. The Najm award is also recorded in the employee’s official employment record as a career highlight. In the last 12 months, 35% of Najm awards were awarded to women. 

Looking to the Future

The Emirates Group recognises that the International Women’s Day theme of #EmbraceEquity is an opportunity to unify direction and galvanize activity, by creating a meaningful framework to amplify action. In signing the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge, Emirates Group has committed to introducing more compliance measures to prevent bias in the hiring processes, identifying, developing, and working on the succession of female leaders in the organisation and reviewing policies to prioritise gender equality in practices and procedures.

About International Women's Day

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 involving over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively, everywhere.

#IWD2023 #EmbraceEquity

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Onboard every flight that lands in Dubai, Emirates Cabin Crew work hard to quickly separate glass and plastic bottles, before they are sent to a recycling plant in Dubai. The glass is separated by colour and crushed. This ‘cullet’ or recycled glass that is ready to be re-melted, is then sent to glass manufacturers in the UAE to include in their batch mix for new bottles. The plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products. As a result, Emirates and Emirates Flight Catering divert thousands of kilograms of glass and plastic away from landfill each year.

The glass and plastic recycling initiative onboard was suggested by environmentally conscious Emirates Cabin Crew in 2019, as part of regular webinars and events where they are given a platform to share feedback and encouraged to share innovative ideas to key departments. The proposal was well-received and implemented within weeks.

Emirates has several other initiatives which focus on repurposing plastic or using sustainable materials where possible;

Emirates blankets made from recycled plastic

For the last 6 years, Emirates has offered cosy sustainable blankets made from recycled plastic bottles to Economy passengers on long haul flights. The soft and warm blankets are made from 28 recycled plastic bottles. The bottles are shredded into plastic chips before being turned into yarn, creating a fleece material. The fine thread is then woven into soft blankets. Over the 6 years since the initiative was introduced, Emirates blankets have prevented more than 95 million plastic bottles from going to landfill. As the largest sustainable blanket programme on board in the airline industry, the manufacturing process of using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) also reduces energy emissions by around 70%.

Prioritising responsible sourcing

Consuming responsibly is a key environmental focus area for Emirates, who have embedded an environmental requirement in the supplier code of conduct and consider the entire lifecycle of products from the design stage. For example, wooden tea and coffee stirrers, paper straws and inflight retail bags are made using wood and paper from responsibly managed forests.

Emirates children’s toys made from sustainably sourced material

For Emirates’ youngest customers, the airline’s complimentary toy bags, baby amenity kits and plush toys are also made from recycled plastic bottles and other sustainable materials. Belt bags, duffle bags and backpacks are designed with specific age groups in mind and are constructed from a yarn that is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Each Emirates kids’ backpack is made from 5.5 recycled plastic bottles and each duffle bag is made from 7. The production of the Emirates children’s bags has saved 8 million plastic bottles from landfill. The swing tags are made from recycled card, and even the outer cases that the products are shipped in are made from recycled card that can be recycled again.

Emirates reusable onboard amenity kits

Emirates’ Premium Economy and Economy Class range of amenity kits are complimentary for customers on long-haul flights, and feature designs that represent the four essential elements of nature – fire, water, earth, and air. The pouches are reusable and made from washable kraft paper with bespoke art printed in non-toxic soy-based ink. The contents include a selection of durable travel essentials made from environmentally friendly materials. The toothbrush is made from a combination of wheat straw and plastic, and the socks and eyeshades are made from recycled plastic, in this case, rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate). The packaging used for the dental kit, socks and eyeshades is made from 90 per cent rice paper.

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Dubai, UAE, 20 February 2023: Emirates will soon build an advanced training facility to accommodate 6 Full Flight Simulator Bays (FFS) for its future Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X aircraft. The brand new, 63,318 sq. ft. facility is slated to open in March 2024.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, said: “This US$ 135 million investment to build a new pilot training centre will ensure Emirates' readiness to commence its pilot training ahead of the delivery of its new aircraft fleet starting from 2024. The building will be equipped with the latest, technologically advanced simulators to provide the best training for pilots, while using solar power to reduce energy consumption.”

The new building will be adjacent to the existing Emirates Training Facilities in Dubai, which will provide a great integration and close proximity to all the other pilot training centres. 

Pilot trainees will also benefit from being able to set-up and configure the cockpit environment using bespoke devices as part of the pilot training module and upload the data to the Full Flight Simulator (FFS) prior to commencing their training session. This innovative, first-of-its-kind concept is designed to shorten the trainee’s preparatory time inside the simulator, help them maintain focus and take full advantage of the training duration.

With the addition of the new building to Emirates’ existing training colleges in Dubai, the airline will have the potential to expand its pilot training capacity by 54% per year. Across the airline’s training buildings, Emirates' pilots will have increased flexibility and facilities to hone their flying skills with 17 full flight simulator bays offering a capacity of more than 130,000 training hours a year.

In line with the scheduled delivery of Emirates’ first Airbus A350 aircraft, the airline’s newest training college will commence training its first batch of A350 pilots by June 2024.

In addition to modern training facilities for its flight deck crew, the airline offers a range of world-class training and development programmes for its workforce and for other aviation professionals. In Dubai, these include: the Emirates Flight Training Academy for cadets, Emirates Aviation University, Emirates Cabin Crew Training Centre, and numerous programmes specially created for different segments of its employees.

Emirates’ signature “Fly Better” logo will be visible on the Great British F50 race boat, with prominent branding on the centre of the wing and hull. The airline’s iconic logo will also appear on the front and back of the team’s clothing, sailing apparel and equipment.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with one of the world’s most successful sailing teams. Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team share common values, ambitions, and drive – making this partnership a natural fit. Together, we’ll take the sport to new levels, bring fans closer to the action, and deliver world-class experiences to customers worldwide.

We also look forward to working closely with our partners on joint sustainability initiatives that will truly make an impact - on and off the water."

Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team CEO & Driver, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: “Myself and the rest of the Great Britain team are thrilled to have Emirates, one of the most iconic sporting brands in the world, on board this journey with us.

Sport has the ability to inspire like nothing else. At a time where the SailGP league is seeing unprecedented growth in the form of new race locations, teams, owners, and Season 4’s calendar revealing strong continuation of this trend, together as partners we will be able to take both the team and the sport to new heights. 

This is a pinnacle partnership, one that brings both commercial value as well as supports our sustainability ambitions to support three million young people to take climate action.”

Sponsorship rights and benefits

Under the sponsorship deal, the airline will enjoy a wide-range of benefits including: marketing, digital and social media rights; VIP hospitality tickets; meet and greet access to the athletes, including Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills, OBE, the world’s most decorated male and female Olympic sailors; and exclusive opportunities such as “sixth sailor experience” for Emirates fans to experience the action first-hand on the water.

Sailing into a sustainable future

In line with the UAE declaring 2023 as the “Year of Sustainability” – the new sponsorship will also open more opportunities for Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team to drive joint global environmental campaigns with the common goals of reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving biodiversity.

Emirates recently completed its first milestone demonstration flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in one of its GE90 engines on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline also supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and is exploring opportunities to enhance operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.

Emirates remains committed to reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact through various sustainable initiatives on-board, including blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and reducing single-use plastics on board its aircraft.

With the 1851 Trust, purpose partner to the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, the team have declared their ambition to inspire three million young people to take action to protect nature, people, and the planet through the Protect Our Future climate digital education platform.

Leading renewable energy company, Low Carbon, has just signed a three-year partnership with the team and will support the 1851 Trust to produce world-class, climate-focussed education resources, to inspire and enable young people to act, whilst building global communities of climate champions.

Emirates and Great Britain SailGP Team will also support wider sustainability issues such as gender equality. SailGP has launched a women's pathway to create an inclusive sporting championship that has gender equity at its heart – where the best athletes have equal opportunity to compete on the F50.' Emirates Group has also recently signed the UAE Gender Balance Council pledge, committing to increase the representation of women in leadership roles to 30 percent by 2025.

Staunch supporterof sailing since 2004

Emirates has been a staunch supporter of sailing with its first sponsorship tracing back to 2004 as the naming sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand.

The global sailing racing calendar will see the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team compete in the remaining races in Season 3 SailGP, with the iconic Emirates branded F50 boats featured in Sydney, Christchurch, and during the grand finale in San Francisco on 6 and 7 May, 2023.  The airline will also continue to support the team for the next three seasons of the racing calendar. 

Serving the UK with 119 weekly flights

Emirates’ long-standing commitment to the UK traces back to 1987. The airline currently serves the country with 119 weekly flights including: six daily A380 services to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick; daily service to Stansted (double daily starting from 1 May 2023); three times daily A380 service to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham including an A380 service (starting from 1 July 2023); daily service to Newcastle; and a daily A380 service to Glasgow (starting from 26 March).

For more information, visit emirates.com.

 - ENDS - 
 

About Emirates: 

Emirates is the award-winning global airline that serves 140 cities on six continents through its efficient hub in Dubai. The airline has earned customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky, delivered by a passionate workforce representing over 160 nations. Emirates supports local communities worldwide and brings people together through its vast portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships. 

The airline operates one the world’s largest fleet of wide-body Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, offering spacious cabins and iconic inflight features such as its A380 Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge, and its ice inflight entertainment system available in all seats across its fleet, which has topped “best in sky” awards for 14 consecutive years.

Emirates is committed to environmentally-responsible operations and focusses on three areas: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving wildlife and habitats.  

About The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team: 

SailGP races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. The sport’s pinnacle league, SailGP features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadium-style venues across the globe, building to the grand final – and sailing’s top prize of US$1 million. The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing’s best athletes racing in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, flying at electrifying speeds exceeding 60 mph/100 KM/H. Visit SailGP.com for more information.  

Ben Ainslie holds the majority ownership of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, alongside Chris Bake and Misland Capital which is using its platform to change the sports sponsorship model in order to bring together groups of like-minded companies, who want to collaborate and accelerate change for a wider purpose. The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team are also committed to accelerating gender equality across the sport with the teams Athena Pathway Programme run by Hannah Mills – the most successful female Olympic athlete in the world of sailing, and IOC Sustainability Ambassador.

SailGP teams are supported by Race for the Future partners who share their personal values and commitment to deliver impact for a better future.  The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team’s Race For The Future Partner is the 1851 Trust’s Protect Our Future platform which aims to empower young people through knowledge and education to take action against climate change.

Emirates Public Relations

pr@emirates.com 

On board every flight with Emirates, cabin crew can speak an array of languages. Emirates proactively hire cabin crew who are multilingual, as communicating with passengers in their own language is considered a core part of Emirates signature hospitality. Emirates cabin crew are recruited from more than 130 countries and together speak more than 70 languages.

On Emirates.com, the website that provides information on every aspect of the Emirates experience, the content can be viewed in 28 different languages with a simple click. The Emirates app for iOS and Android is also available in 19 different languages.

On Emirates award-winning ice, there is a huge array of content in over 40 languages, from movies to TV series to music, poetry, and podcasts. A library of over 1900 movies is available in multiple languages, with vast choices available including English, Arabic, Hindi, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, German, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese and many more. For those who prefer to watch a boxset or hit TV series, ice offers over 500 episodes of Arabic TV, and 29 channels of TV shows from India and Pakistan. Many of the smash hit English-language comedy and drama series are available with a variety of dubbed languages, including Italian, Spanish, Japanese, German, French and more. Passengers can visit the dedicated ice page on Emirates.com and select any language to see what content is available.

For the musically minded explorer, ice is home to up to 40,000 hit songs spread across genres including K-Pop (Korean), Afrobeat (Yoruba, isiZulu and more), P-Pop (Tagalog), Reggaeton (Spanish), C-Pop (Mandarin, Cantonese) and Opera (French, Italian and more). Passengers can also listen to Polish, Russian, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Sinhala, Tamil, Malay, Thai, and Turkish tunes amongst many others.

For those who wish to brush up on their language skills before they reach their destination, ice even has uTalk Language Learning on ice TV – a module that helps passengers learn essential phrases in a new language while they fly – available in Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, German, and French.

Emirates is the world’s largest international airline flying to 140 destinations around the globe. The airline has always held a deep commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity, celebrating the nuances of different cultures onboard in a multitude of ways; from serving regionally inspired cuisines to respecting the practices of various religions such as fasting or periods of required vegan diet, to celebrating special occasions onboard from Christmas, to Eid, to Lunar New Year to Oktoberfest to Diwali, and providing cultural entertainment from a wealth of regions so that all passengers fly better.

About International Mother Language Day

The concept of International Mother Language Day was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world for the past 23 years. UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies and works to preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others. Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.

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An Emirates A380 took to the skies to salute the crowd below, as they enjoyed the biggest Emirates Dubai 7’s festival yet, featuring more than 300 rugby, netball, cricket, and fitness teams, alongside more than 100,000 festival goers enjoying headline music performances and family entertainment.

Taking off from Dubai International Airport, the Emirates A380 made its approach above the stadium to wow the crowds for the flypast at 1604hrs, and back over again at 1610hrs, cruising by at a gentle speed and an altitude of just 500 feet. Commanding the Emirates A380 was UAE National Captain Mubarak Al Mheiri and Captain Anand Singh, supported by Captain Khalid Bin Sultan.

Today’s flypast underscores the airline’s commitment to the long-standing Emirates Dubai 7s. Taking place during the UAE National Day weekend in December and hosted at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, Emirates Dubai 7s builds on a 51-year history of the unique Rugby Sevens tournament, welcoming the very best international teams each year, alongside Invitational Rugby, Netball and Cricket teams, attract over 4,500 participants each year. 2022 saw the addition of brand-new fun fitness competition for teams of four people of all fitness levels-WODON3.The festival has also evolved over time and has now become a 3-day event with multiple stages for international music acts, toddler, kids and teens zones, and a new Hops & Food Market.

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23 September 2022, Dubai, UAE – ‘Beyond Better, Forward Together’ went way beyond a catchy tagline for Emirates’ Commercial Operations Management Conference, delivering action-packed, high-voltage sessions for more than 300 of its leaders and senior executives based globally and locally. 

Over two days this week, the audience were taken through an inspirational journey that mapped out Emirates’ solid strategy around fleet, destinations, products, and unimaginable growth – all wrapped around the airline’s hub Dubai. Dinner at the Museum of the Future, Dubai’s latest iconic attraction and a strategic partner of the airline, served as a fitting backdrop for the programme on day one. 

All of it was topped by an impromptu visit by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group that brought the attendees to their feet.  

Invited speakers enlivened the conference with their take on aviation, tourism and the economy. Speakers included: HE Helal Saeed Al-Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism; Arjun Vir Singh, Partner with Arthur D. Little’s Financial Services Practice; and Nawal K. Taneja, consultant and author with more than five decades of experience in aviation. 

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are once again firmly set on the path of a massive growth trajectory in travel, and Emirates is ready and revving up to optimise every opportunity, as is Dubai. This conference was one of our biggest platforms to rally our leaders and senior executives, who are also some of Emirates and Dubai’s biggest brand advocates globally. They’ve now witnessed first-hand the many exciting initiatives rolled out by the airline and the city over the past two years, thanks to strong and visionary leadership. We’re absolutely thrilled with what we’ve achieved in these two days – the energy, the spirit and the passion were palpable and simply phenomenal.” 

The conference was packed with presentations, slick videos, fireside chats, workshops, panels, and rousing keynote speeches. Besides Adnan Kazim, speakers from Emirates included Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, Michael Doersam, Group Chief Financial Officer, Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President Corporate Communications Marketing & Brand, Anand Lakshminarayanan, Senior Vice President Revenue Optimisation & Distribution, Trevor Chong, Vice President Route Planning & Economics, and Rogerio Leao, Vice President Fleet Planning and Research. 

Just in these past three months, Emirates has launched its highly anticipated Premium Economy to overwhelmingly positive feedback; signed a historic commercial agreement with United Airlines; invested over US$2 billion on its onboard customer experience, including new menus, vegan choices, cinema-in-the-sky experiences, unlimited caviar and Dom Pérignon, and upgrading its entire fleet of 120 Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. The airline also committed US$350 million for the next-generation inflight entertainment solutions for its 50-strong fleet of A350s and even created a flutter with a new CGI brand ambassador – Gerry the Goose. 

As part of a highly successful recruitment drive this year, Emirates has already hired 3,000 new joiners who undergo 8 weeks of intense ‘ab-initio’ training in order to become world-class cabin crew. The ab-initio period includes a myriad of courses from security to service, safety and emergency to hospitality, and the critically important medical response training. Far from the erroneous perception of cabin crew just serving meals and looking glamourous, Emirates crew are trained to manage a range of situations on board, and this includes learning essential life-saving skills. Using a combination of practical, in-situ, classroom and online learning, new recruits are taught invaluable lessons which prepare them for life, and to save the lives of others.

What exactly do they learn?

Medical training is provided to new cabin crew on all aspects of first aid including dealing with a collapsed casualty who has fainted, managing choking, recognising and managing breathing difficulties like asthma and hyperventilation, sudden illnesses like chest pain, stroke, low blood sugar, allergic reactions, deep vein thrombosis, barotrauma, decompression illness, and substance misuse. Crew are also taught how to deal with injuries like fractures, burns, and amputations, as well as communicable diseases, the importance of infection control procedures, and on-board hygiene.

The new recruits are schooled in the life-saving skills of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), where they practice on patient simulation mannequins, and on how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machine properly. Using a specially designed medical mannequin, cabin crew also experience what it’s like to deliver a newborn baby on board, as well as managing death. All training is provided by certified aviation first aid instructors, in the world-class training facility - Emirates Cabin Crew Training Centre in Dubai.

Do they actually save lives?

In July 2022 alone, Emirates cabin crew saved two passengers from cardiac arrest on two different flights. A potentially fatal incident, cardiac arrest causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. The lack of blood flow to the brain and other organs can cause a person to lose consciousness, become disabled or die if not treated immediately. Emirates cabin crew used a combination of CPR techniques and a defibrillator to save both passengers’ lives and kept them stable until they could receive medical attention from emergency services on the ground. Both passengers are now recovering well.

What support is in place for the cabin crew?

When there is a medical incident on board, cabin crew are supported by the flight deck crew (Captain/Pilot and First Officer/co-pilot) and a team called Ground Medical Support. Ground Medical Support is a team based in Emirates Headquarters, who are available 24/7 by satellite communication to support and advise crew around the world on medical incidents on board.

From a psychological perspective, cabin crew also receive training on gaining consent to assist passengers, showing empathy to the sick and their families, staying calm, keeping the casualty informed at all stages and being present with the casualty until the situation improves. They also learn how to break difficult news when required. After any incident, the cabin crew are also provided with support for their own mental health, through Emirates’ Employee Assistance Programme, the Peer Support service, and Sehaty – Emirates’ employee wellbeing programme.

Cabin crew knowledge and skills are put to the test each year at a recurrent training, and crew are required to complete a 1.5-hour online course, 2-hour practical session for CPR, AED, severe bleeding, and severe allergy management, with assessments for each. The experienced crew also participate in a flight simulation exercise annually to ensure they are fully equipped to handle any medical incidents and their knowledge is regularly refreshed.

Putting First Aid into action

Flying with the world’s largest airline, Emirates cabin crew enjoy non-stop new adventures as they travel to over 150 cities across 85 countries. Many Emirates cabin crew describe the role as ‘the best job in the world’ - not only because they deliver award-winning service at 40,000 feet and the unique lifestyle that comes with the job, but because they also discover their own heroic potential through life-saving skills and emergency management. Having access to Emirates aviation first aid training helps new recruits develop their communication skills, initiative and leadership qualities, the ability to work effectively as a team, the focus to stay mentally strong and calm to work effectively under pressure, and – how to save and protect the lives of others. 

Read more and apply here

Dubai, UAE, 9 August 2022: The Emirates Group opens new doors of opportunity for UAE Nationals to build promising careers within the aviation and travel services industry, through a selection of curated scholarship programmes.

The Emirates Group’s scholarship programme provides support to young Emiratis while they study at esteemed educational institutions, and offers them an exciting career start in one of the Group’s diverse business units after they graduate.

The Group pledges its commitment to the UAE’s Emiratization strategy as it sets the stepping stones for young and ambitious Emirati talent for their journeys towards their dream jobs, and will continue to invest in programmes to help to build the next generation of skilled professionals and successful Emiratis.

The Emirates Group’s scholarship programmes include opportunities to major in the following fields:

• Aviation Management
• Information Technology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Logistics and Supply Chain
• Finance
• Cadet Pilot
• Aircraft Maintenance Engineering

Emirati high school graduates who meet the criteria can apply on the Emirates Group Careers website. To learn more and to apply, visit this page.

In addition to the scholarship programmes for high school graduates, the Emirates Group also provides UAE Nationals varied career opportunities across its wide range of businesses and roles - from entry level and career progression.

For pilots, a future with Emirates means flying to diverse destinations across the airline’s network spanning six continents and 140 destinations. It also means flying one of the world’s youngest and most modern fleet, now numbering 265 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. With Emirates’ continuous investments in renewing its fleet, the airline’s pilots will also be flying Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, Boeing 777-Xs and Airbus A350-900s in the coming years.

Emirates’ pilots complete robust, evidence-based training programmes in-house with highly skilled instructors in specially designed environments. The airline’s cutting-edge training facility houses 10 full-flight simulators for Boeing 777s and Airbus 380s.

The airline’s growth offers numerous opportunities for natural career progression – first officers can steadily grow to become captains, technical pilots, standards’ captains, examiners and instructors.

Emirates offers a range of benefits designed for pilots and their families to lead a fulfilling lifestyle – competitive tax-free salary, generous accommodation and education allowance, and excellent medical and dental cover. Employees enjoy concessional cargo and travel benefits for the entire family, even friends’ tickets, across the airline’s global network. What’s more, the Emirates Platinum card offers a range of privileges and discounts across thousands of retail and hospitality outlets locally and globally.

Pilots can bid for preferred flights and destinations on Emirates’ advanced rostering system to ensure they have the opportunity to spend quality time with their loved ones on special days.  On a typical work day, Emirates’ flight deck crew are chauffeured to and from home and journey through the fast-track check-in facilities at the airline’s headquarters.

Flight and cabin crew from over 160 nationalities enjoy a collaborative camaraderie that reflects the multicultural milieu of Emirates’ hub Dubai. The city’s reputation as a safe, secure, vibrant and tech-savvy city is well-known. Major annual sporting events, a full range of lifestyle activities, first-class hospitality and dining, spectacular attractions, international schools and hospitals and excellent infrastructure all come together to make Dubai a city of choice for millions of expatriates.

As air travel continues to soar, Emirates is ramping up its services from one of the world’s busiest and best airports – the award-winning Dubai International. 

Candidates applying for the position of First Officer must have experience on multi-engine, multi-crew aircraft, a valid ICAO Airline Pilot License, and a minimum experience of 2,000 flying hours on 20 tonne MTOW (maximum take-off weight) aircraft. Interested candidates can check out the eligibility criteria in full and apply online here: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/

As air travel returns with a vengeance, the airline’s recruiters are busy meeting and hiring candidates in 30 cities from now until the end of June. In this latest drive, Emirates’ teams will travel from Australia to the UK, and dozens of European cities in between, as well as Cairo, Algiers, Tunis and Bahrain. 

Abdulaziz Al Ali, Emirates Group’s Executive Vice President for Human Resources said: “There’s no more exciting airline than Emirates for anyone interested in a flying career, and we’ve received tremendous interest since we began our recruitment drive for cabin crew in November.

“While parts of the application process are done online, we always make the effort to meet our candidates in person whenever we can, and that is why our Talent Acquisition team is doing a whirlwind 30-city tour over the next 6 weeks to assess prospective candidates.”

Emirates’ truly global cabin crew team represent 160 nationalities, reflecting its customer mix and international operations in over 130 cities on six continents.

All Emirates crew are based in the exciting cosmopolitan city of Dubai, with company-provided accommodation, tax-free salary and more benefits.

Interested candidates can read more about the Emirates cabin crew role, and apply online at: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/cabin-crew/

The centrepiece of this year’s product showcase was the full Emirates Premium Economy Class experience, which it will begin selling from 1 June 2022 for travel from 1 August to popular A380 routes London, Paris, Sydney and Christchurch from December. Visitors were able to relax, recline and simply experience Emirates’ Premium Economy, and caught a glimpse of what to expect when travelling in this highly sought-after cabin class.

In addition, the Emirates stand showcased its Boeing 777-300ER game-changer First Class fully enclosed private suite exhibit, Boeing 777 Business Class seat, the newest generation A380 OnBoard lounge, along with other iconic products such the First Class Shower Spa and the latest version of the game-changer Economy Class seats.

As part of the airline’s efforts to deliver an enhanced customer experience, Emirates announced the launch of one its biggest service and hospitality initiatives for its frontline teams both onboard and on the ground. Created in partnership with the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the programme aims to drive consistency across all touchpoints and provide a framework for teams to deliver memorable experiences for Emirates’ customers.

With a strong focus on helping the industry recover through close collaboration and meaningful partnerships, the airline also inked agreements with tourism boards and other partners:

• Emirates and Royal Air Maroc launched their codeshare partnership at ATM, set to provide more travel options and value for customers of both airlines across 209 combined destinations.
• Recognising the potential of growing inbound tourism and supporting the recovery of key destinations across its network, Emirates inked tourism memorandums with the Malaysian, South African, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority as well as the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. The airline will be capitalising on opportunities and collaborating on joint activities with all of the tourism boards to develop traffic and encourage visitors to experience these destinations from across its network of nearly 130 destinations.
• Emirates also extended its partnership with Huawei, one of the world’s top tech brands, to provide further exposure, and bolster brand presence of each brand across multiple markets through joint activities and exciting future collaborations.
• To attract more investments and business to Dubai, Emirates and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore opportunities for a number of travel-related incentives for businesses registered in Jafza.

Emirates was honoured to welcome UAE royal dignitaries and VIP guests to its stand at ATM including His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum also received a Jamaican tourism delegation headed by The Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism.  

During ATM, the airline was again crowned as ‘Best Airline Worldwide’ for the ninth consecutive time at the Business Traveller Middle East awards, in addition to picking up “Best Premium Economy Class”, “Best Economy Class” and “Best Frequent Flyer Programme”.

The Arabian Travel Market 2022 is the region’s largest travel and trade exhibition, welcoming more than 30,000 attendees from over 120 destinations.

Dubai, UAE, 10 May 2022 – Emirates, renowned for its award-winning products and services, is launching a new hospitality-based strategy which will take the customer experiences that its teams deliver on ground and in the air, to new heights.

The programme will be one of the biggest people, process, and product initiatives ever implemented at the airline, touching all frontline customer facing teams as well as supporting departments.

Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer at Emirates said: “Even while managing the immediate challenges of the pandemic during the past two years, Emirates did not hesitate to keep driving forward initiatives to ensure our customers keep “flying better” for the foreseeable future.

“Emirates already has a signature service that our customers value and makes us unique. What we’re doing through our new hospitality strategy, is providing our teams with even more bandwidth and skills to build stronger, more personalised, and relevant connections with our customers at every moment of their journey with us. We’ll achieve that by investing in technologies, refining elements of our processes, and empowering our people to be our most effective and real brand ambassadors.”

Al Redha added: “The learning programme for our new hospitality strategy will be rolled out starting from June, and refresher courses in the programme will continue to ensure the consistency of our customer experience.”

With expert support from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), consistently rated amongst the world’s top hospitality management schools, Emirates is creating its next generation hospitality programme based on bespoke principles that reflect its unique DNA. At its foundation are the principles of simplicity, excellence, innovation, and most importantly, passion.

The programme aims to drive consistency across all touchpoints and provide a framework for teams to deliver signature moments that evoke emotions and create positive memories and feelings for Emirates’ customers.

Emirates has already incorporated elements of its new hospitality principles into its soon-to-launch Premium Economy service, as its cabin crew learn how to deliver Emirates’ latest inflight experience from food presentation and offering of welcome drinks, to complimentary amenities and other little touches. Earlier this week, the airline announced that it will offer its full-service Premium Economy experience for sale in June, for customers flying on select routes starting from 01 August 2022.

Committed to investing in its people, the first batch of Emirates facilitators have already earned their EHL Qualified Learning Facilitator Certification after completing an intensive 2-week programme between Dubai and EHL’s main campus in Lausanne earlier this year. They will be part of the core team involved in deploying the airline’s hospitality learning experience initiatives starting from June.

The airline is setting up an internal Emirates Hospitality Centre of Excellence to engage and co-ordinate the roll-out of the programme across the diverse teams at Emirates involved in delivering customer experiences – including cabin crew, airport services employees, contact centre teams, catering, inflight products, training, recruitment, sales and marketing, and more.

The flag was raised by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, together with attending Emirates Group senior executives and employees at Emirates Group Headquarters.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said: “This UAE Flag Day, which coincides with our 50th anniversary, serves as a constant reminder of what makes this nation great. We honour all that our flag represents, renew our commitment to the UAE’s greater purpose as a nation, and reflect on our nation’s achievements, as we ambitiously look ahead to the next 50 years with pride and determination to create a better future for the next generations.”

UAE Flag Day is observed annually to mark His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s accession as President of the UAE in 2004, and serves as an opportunity to celebrate the country’s rich journey and the forward-looking vision of its leadership.

Customers flying from Emirates’ hub in Dubai to its four German gateways of Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich, in all classes of travel will be able to enjoy a Bavarian main course and dessert until October 3^rd.

Travellers in First Class and Business Class can treat themselves to leberkäs as a main course, a typical German-style beef and chicken meatloaf served with sauerkraut, potato and red radish salad, and sweet mustard. They can round off their main course with a sweet and hot apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce in First Class and bienenstich, a traditional German cake with almonds and honey, in Business Class.

Emirates customers flying from Dubai to Germany in Economy Class, can also choose leberkäs as a main course, served with mashed potatoes as well as sauerkraut with fried onions. They can then also finish off their German meal with a piece of bienenstich cake.

Emirates’ iconic A380 Onboard Lounge, available to customers travelling in First Class and Business Class, will feature a whole range of Bavarian-inspired bar snacks and appetisers, such as sandwiches with emmental cheese with gherkins, mini bretzels with traditional dips like obatzda, Bavarian pastries as well as small gingerbread hearts to enjoy or share with a loved one back home.

Emirates currently offers two daily flights from Dubai to Frankfurt, daily connections to Munich as well as six weekly flights to Dusseldorf and five flights a week to Hamburg from its Dubai hub. The airline recently announced that it will ramp up its services to Germany with the beginning of the winter flight schedule at the end of October, with daily connections to Dusseldorf and Hamburg. The popular A380 flagship will then also make its return to these two cities. Emirates is scaling up services with additional route resumptions and more flights across its European network, responding to the easing of international entry protocols and an upsurge in passenger demand.

Emirates serves multi-course gourmet menus in all classes. As well as regionally inspired cuisine on their monthly menus, Emirates often brings on board festive meals, sweets, drinks and desserts to celebrate special occasions, from world events and international sports to festivals such as Christmas, Lunar New Year and Diwali.

Health & Safety: Emirates keeps the health and wellbeing of its customers as top priority. The airline has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey.

Flexibility & Assurance: Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. Recently, the airline took its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, which have been extended to 31 May 2022, an extension of its multi-risk insurance cover, and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status.

All of the movements include Emirati talent into key leadership positions, either being promoted from within the organisation or through portfolio rotations, underpinning the airline’s commitment to career development and progression of its UAE Nationals.

Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said: ‘’Thanks to the strength of the Emirates brand, our laser focus on executing strategic customer and commercial initiatives, and rationally rebuilding our network based on tangible demand, the airline is well-positioned in the long-term to generate improved results as we navigate recovery. The movements within the commercial team that have been put in place significantly strengthen our management structure across key markets. We’re proud of the hard work and dedication that UAE Nationals appointed to these roles have demonstrated to tackle the challenges of the last 18 months, and today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to build bench strength from within.”

Jabr Al-Azeeby has been appointed as Vice President for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Jabr has been with Emirates for 16 years, previously holding Country Manager roles in Uganda, Cyprus, Thailand, Pakistan, before taking on his most recent role as Vice President, India and Nepal.

Mohammed Alnahari Alhashmi has been appointed as Vice President for Pakistan. Mohammed has held several roles throughout his 18 year career with Emirates, including management posts in Kuwait, Indonesia, Syria, the UAE, and most recently he held the role as Vice President for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mohammad Sarhan, who previously held the role of Vice President for Pakistan, will become Vice President, India and Nepal. Mohammad’s first post with Emirates came in 2009 in Cote d’Ivoire, and since then he’s held several commercial leadership roles in Vietnam, Greece, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Rashed Alfajeer, Manager Morocco, will become Country Manager Iran. Rashed’s career with Emirates began in 2013 as part of the commercial manager training programme. Rashed has taken on several roles since then, including Commercial Manager Sri Lanka, District Manager Dammam and the eastern province in KSA, as well as Country Manager Tanzania.

Khalfan Al Salami, Country Manager Sudan, will become Manager Morocco. Khalfan joined the Emirates commercial management training programme in 2015, and went on to train further in Madrid before taking on a Commercial Manager role in Kuwait. Since then, he’s held the Country Manager role in Sudan.

Rashed Salah Al Ansari, will become Country Manager Sudan. Rashed has been with Emirates since 2017, holding various Commercial Support Manager roles in Singapore and Jordan.

DUBAI, UAE, 10 April 2021: Emirates’ one-of-a-kind flight EK2021 proudly made a journey across the different emirates today, to celebrate the UAE’s remarkable progress in vaccinating its citizens and residents from COVID-19 through a national vaccination programme that has administered close to 9 million vaccines doses to date.

The special flight, which carried fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard, was unprecedented in the industry in scale. With close to 400 fully vaccinated customers onboard, the flight illustrates confidence and undiminished excitement for air travel.

EK2021 was also supported by fully vaccinated teams across the aviation eco-system, from onboard crew to ground staff, demonstrating the readiness of the UAE’s aviation eco-system to support the safe rebound of air travel.

In spite of the pandemic, the UAE has maintained its status as a leading global aviation hub and it will continue to grow its position as a hub for passengers and cargo traffic by investing in innovations and close collaborations with all stakeholders.

Onboard EK2021 was a group of senior officials from key aviation and health sector entities hosted by Emirates.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said: “The UAE’s rapid pace and progress in vaccinating our population is a testament of our leadership’s vision and commitment to safeguard our communities, and manage the pandemic by adopting the appropriate measures to protect both nationals and residents. Today’s flight is a showcase of the combined efforts and dedication of all stakeholders in supporting the vaccination programme, and the implementation of protocols in the past 12 months to ensure a safe travel journey, stimulate passenger traffic and set the groundwork for the ramp up of air travel in the near future. Emirates continues to support the national vaccination programme and we are pleased with the progress made within the group in vaccinating our employees.”

Adel Al Redha, Emirates Chief Operating Officer said: “We would like to thank the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Dubai Health Authority, The UAE General Civil Aviation authority (GCAA), Dubai Airports, GRFDA, Dubai Police, Airbus and Pure Health as well as other stakeholders for their close cooperation and support of our special flight.”

The UAE currently has one of the world’s highest rate of vaccinations for its citizens and residents at 90.22 doses per 100 people. The outstanding effort by the health authorities in the UAE has contributed to reaching the administration of close to 9 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In parallel, the Emirates Group vaccination programme rolled out to its UAE-based workforce less than three months ago, and since then has delivered COVID-19 shots to over 35,000 Emirates employees across its vaccination centres.

Today’s flight was operated with Emirates’ newest A380 aircraft which featured the airline’s brand-new Premium Economy seats, and refreshed cabin interiors across every cabin class. First and Business Class customers were able to safely network and mingle in the iconic A380 Onboard Lounge. In addition, all customers enjoyed a full-course meal.

Combining the most advanced aviation technology and an inspired cabin design, The A380 remains a customer favourite for its unmatched comfort and spaciousness. This month, Airbus has launched a travel companion app called “Tripset”. The application aggregates and provides flight and travel information to ease and restore passenger’s trust in their end-to-end journey when traveling by air during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing passengers with the latest and most relevant travel conditions, restriction and health requirements in place, without having to consult a variety of sources. Tripset is part of Airbus’ continuing commitment, alongside airlines, industry partners and regulatory agencies, to encourage the flying public to keep trust in air travel, supporting the safe and well-coordinated return to flight, which is essential for economic recovery from COVID-19.

On the ground, passengers checked in using the latest biometric technologies for a seamless journey across multiple touchpoints. Biometric touchpoints were recently expanded to include over 18 check-in desks and 15 boarding gates at the airport. As a result, customers across all classes enjoyed seamless biometric entry to experience the First and Business Class lounge at DXB.

All EK2021 passengers were provided rapid COVID-19 PCR tests, facilitated by Pure Health. Pure Health, the largest integrated healthcare solutions provider in the UAE, has facilitated the administration of up to 4 million PCR tests at Dubai Airports to date. It has also played a vital role in providing COVID-19 testing support to the aviation industry at large, since the start of the pandemic.

After passengers checked in, they received the green ‘Choose to Vaccinate’ pin and took photos to mark the special event. All EK2021 customers who passed through immigration also received a bespoke ‘Choose to Vaccinate’ stamp on each boarding pass as an added keepsake.

As passengers disembarked, they were handed commemorative certificates for taking part in this initiative.

EK2021 was commanded by UAE National Captain Ahmed Al Obeidli, First Officer Ramon Wilde and flight deck crew were supported by Captain Ricky Garala. Earlier in the day, aviation entities across Dubai and the UAE were sending their messages of support on Twitter in advance of the special flight.

All proceeds for EK2021 have been donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation, the airline’s non-profit charity organisation which supports projects around the world aimed at improving the quality of life for disadvantaged children around the world.

Close to 26,000 of Emirates Group’s frontline aviation workforce already vaccinated with two doses

DUBAI, UAE 21 February 2021: Honouring its commitment to the health and safety of its employees and customers, Emirates today has become among the first airlines in the world to operate a flight with fully vaccinated frontline teams servicing customers at every touchpoint of the travel journey.

This morning, the full airport and onboard customer experience for flight EK215, which departed Dubai at 0830hrs for Los Angeles, was safely supported by check-in, security, Business and First Class lounge and boarding gate employees, as well as engineers, pilots and cabin crew who made the choice to be fully vaccinated.

Also supporting the flight’s operations were fully vaccinated aircraft appearance, loading and special handling teams from dnata, as well as SkyCargo teams working on the cargo and logistics requirements for EK215.

The Emirates Group rolled out its vaccination drive at pace just over a month ago, and since then, close to 26,000, or 44%, of the Group’s UAE frontline aviation workforce have received both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinopharm vaccines.

Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Airline said: “Our operational workforce are at the aviation frontline, helping people get to where they need to be, and moving essential goods to global communities. Protecting our people with vaccinations is important – for them, for our community, for the smooth running of our operations, and also for our customers as it introduces of an additional layer of protection when they travel with us. We’ve seen a very positive response with high demand and take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine from our colleagues at the operational frontline, and there’s continued momentum in the rate of vaccinations across the business. We would like to thank the UAE’s leadership for making three types of vaccines available in the country, and for their proactive commitment to championing an extensive National Vaccination Programme.”

Nearly 5,000 Cabin and Flight Deck Crew have opted to receive both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. In addition, thousands more Emirates Group employees in other roles have taken their COVID-19 vaccine through the company’s clinics and vaccination centres, while others have opted to take their vaccine at one of the many vaccination centres across the UAE.

Al Redha added: “At the outset of the pandemic, Emirates implemented robust safety measures to protect and prioritise the safety of our customers and employees at all stages of the travel journey, and with the rapid progress of our own vaccination programme and high rates of take-up, more of our flights will soon be operating with fully vaccinated frontline employees. We are also confident that with more people being vaccinated, combined with strong safety measures in place, we can all look forward to the easing of border entry guidelines for many countries.”

The Emirates Group vaccination programme is the latest in its series of safeguards and protections to deliver on its health and safety promises to its customers, employees and the communities it serves around the world. The Group’s vaccination centres have been running 12 hours a day, every day of the week to prioritise and provide aviation frontliners with the vaccine.

The UAE currently has one of the world’s highest rate of vaccinations for its citizens and residents as it fights to curb the spread of Covid-19. So far, the UAE has administered over 5.4 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and Our World In Data, a research website based at Oxford University, recently reported that the country’s distribution rate stands at 55.27 doses per 100 people, ranking it the second highest in the world.

The changes place five seasoned Emirati commercial managers in key positions across the Emirates network to support its commercial strategies as the airline responds to shifting market dynamics and navigates the complex challenges posed by the global pandemic.

The rotations also demonstrate the depth of UAE National talent within the global commercial team, due in large part to the exposure they are given across the airline’s network.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “As Emirates works through the complexities of this challenging period, we are sharpening our focus further and placing extremely capable leaders with diverse experiences to help drive commercial initiatives that stimulate demand and maximise revenue opportunities and margin performance. I am also proud of our UAE Nationals, who are well-placed to support the commercial organisation at this critical time, as we continue to build sustained momentum, restore our network foothold, and ramp up our operations to position the airline for a strong recovery.”

 The following five commercial management rotations for UAE Nationals will take effect 1 January 2021:

• Salem Ghanem Al Marri, currently Manager Japan, will return to Dubai to the airline’s Strategic Planning department.
• Jaber Mohamed, currently Area Manager Taiwan, will become Country Manager Philippines.
• Saeed Abdulla Miran, currently Manager Bangladesh, take on the role of Area Manager Hong Kong.
• Sultan Alriyami, currently an Outstation Manager, will become Area Manager Taiwan.
• Mohamed Alhammadi, currently a Commercial Manager, will become Manager Bangladesh.

In addition to the UAE National rotations, several commercial managers in Africa and South East Asia will also be taking on new or enhanced roles:

• Satish Sethi, currently Country Manager Philippines, will become Manager Japan.
• Afzal Parambil, currently Regional Manager West Africa, will take on the role of Regional Manager South Africa.
• Paulos Legesse, currently Manager Ivory Coast, will become Manager Nigeria.
• Christophe Leloup, currently Manager Senegal, will become Manager Kenya.
• Cathrine Wesley, Country Manager Ghana, will support Ivory Coast in addition to her current role.
• Arpit Behl, Country Manager Guinea, will support Senegal in addition to his current role.

The airline continues to create opportunities for UAE Nationals to grow professionally and build a well-defined career path so that they can play pivotal roles within the organisation.

Through the commercial outstation programme, UAE nationals gain experience in support roles, and are eventually groomed for leadership positions at Emirates outstations. The programme is underpinned by role rotations, providing UAE nationals the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and experience to ensure a strong talent pipeline across the Emirates Group’s global businesses.

Presenting the award in an online ceremony, Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice Chancellor, Cranfield University, spoke on Al Redha’s contributions to the aviation industry, his forward thinking leadership as a source of pride for the Cranfield alumni and an inspiration for students embarking on their aviation careers. Sir Peter particularly noted Al Redha’s efforts in the areas of innovation and technology integration across business areas, which has delivered operational efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction and contributed to Emirates’ success.

In his acceptance speech, Al Redha credited the University for its excellent practical and academic learning which helped his career growth, remarking on its well-balanced programmes that incorporate the latest industry expertise.

Al Redha also thanked Emirates Chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, for their encouragement and trust through the years, in addition to his family and colleagues for their ongoing support.

Al Redha said: “His Highness Sheikh Ahmed and Sir Tim have both been key figures and mentors throughout my career. Without their encouragement and support, I would not have embarked on my Masters’ degree at Cranfield. In 1996, I was grateful to be nominated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed for a scholarship to pursue my Master’s Degree at Cranfield University. Emirates was a young and ambitious airline that was growing quickly at that time, and it was hard to take time off to go back to school. But my manager Sir Tim Clark rightly persuaded me to proceed with the course.”

In his keynote lecture following the award, Al Redha spoke on Emirates’ growth and his personal passion in developing a skilled UAE talent pool for aviation, which has led to the launch of various programmes within Emirates to groom cadet pilots, engineers and aviation management talent, including the setting up of the Emirates Flight Academy in 2017.

Al Redha also spoke on Emirates’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the UAE and Dubai’s successful, multi-stakeholder approach to managing the pandemic. As part of Dubai’s COVID-19 Command and Control Centre team, Al Redha took pride in contributing to decisions relating to aviation protocols, which enabled Emirates and the aviation community to respond to the pandemic rapidly and effectively. He highlighted the importance of public-private partnership in delivering clear strategies and co-ordinated actions, strong leadership, technology, and the people factor.

Al Redha said: “Find the opportunity in every crisis, and always keep one eye on the future, even when fighting the immediate fires. It may be tempting to cut investments in technology and innovation when things get tough, but look carefully before you chop, as you might also be cutting off the answer to survival and emerging stronger. Also, we must never forget to keep the human touch. Even while pushing for automation and intelligent systems, it’s important to keep a balance, and don’t forget to invest in people. Most importantly, in a crisis, especially major ones, the only way we come out of it is by working closely together, hand in hand, with clear leadership and vision.”

Joining Emirates in 1988, Al Redha has held several senior management roles at the airline, including supervising aircraft manufacturing programmes with Boeing and Airbus.

As Chief Operating Officer since 2009, Al Redha is at the helm of Emirates’ operational departments, both in Dubai and across the airline’s global. His teams play an integral role in the customer journey and include flight operations, cabin crew, catering operations, airport services, engineering, the Emirates Flight Training Academy, aircraft procurement, as well as worldwide network operations including crisis response.

In 2017, Future Travel Experience’s Airline Passenger Experience Power List named Al Redha one of the top 5 global airline executives for his leadership in directing the airline’s consistent delivery of superior services on the ground and in the air.

A fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Al Redha graduated with a Masters’ degree in Air Transport from Cranfield University in 1997. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology/Aircraft Maintenance from the University of Northrop, USA.

Adel Al Redha is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, which aims to strengthen the UAE and Dubai’s position as a global centre for exploring and developing future solutions for society. This enables Al Redha to integrate the strategies set by the Dubai Future Council into Emirates’ plans, enhancing the airlines readiness to deal with future changes.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline and Chairman of the Emirates Airline Foundation said: “In the 18 years since its establishment, the Foundation has been helping to channel the generous donations of our passengers and employees towards projects focussed on improving the welfare of children in need.

“The Foundation currently supports 19 projects in 12 countries around the world, and we would love to do more. Children are our world’s collective hope for the future, and they deserve every dignity and opportunity.”

Some of the organisations and projects supported by the Foundation include: the Virlanie Foundation in the Philippines which helps provide housing and protection for 42 marginalised children; the Little Prince Nursery and School in Kenya which provides nursery and primary education for over 400 underprivileged children from the Kibera slums; and the Italian NGO Emergenza Sorrisi which sent medical volunteers to perform life changing plastic surgeries for over 100 children last year. In South Africa, Singakwenza, which works to build sustainable early childhood programmes in economically disadvantaged communities, trained over 1,400 parents, caregivers and educators last year; and in India, IMMPACT provides education through community-based learning centers to 3,000 girls each year who come from underprivileged families mostly in rural areas that have little or no access to schools.

Watch their video message here.

The Emirates Airline Foundation is a non-profit charity organisation, made up of volunteer employees and friends of the Emirates Group, and managed under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saaed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

Through partnerships with NGOs and community groups, the Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for children, regardless of geographical, political or religious boundaries. The projects supported by the Foundation are located primarily at Emirates’ destinations, where the airline’s employee volunteers can participate and oversee their management.

To donate, and for more information on the Foundation and its projects visit: www.emiratesairlinefoundation.org

The wins underscore Emirates’ commitment to offer a better and safer customer experience in the air and on the ground across every class of travel. The awards also highlight how the airline has been supporting its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, rapidly meeting evolving consumer expectations during these times. Emirates has reengineered its customer experience with industry-leading health and safety measures across every touchpoint of the travel journey, and introduced initiatives to offer travel assurance, greater flexibility, and restore confidence in flying.

Emirates led the way to become the first airline to offer customers free Covid-19 cover to help customers travel with more confidence, knowing that medical expenses of up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs of EUR 100 per day for 14 days will be covered if they are diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel, while they are away from home.

At every step of the journey, Emirates has spared no effort to prioritise the care, health and safety of its customers, employees and communities. Enhanced biosafety measures include the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits, protective barriers at check-in desks and immigration counters, personal protective equipment and new safety protocols for cabin crew and airport employees in customer facing roles, and elevated aircraft cleaning procedures including the frequent cleaning and disinfecting of aircraft lavatories every 45 minutes during flights, amongst many other measures.

Emirates regularly reviews all its biosafety measures in line with the latest expert guidance. This week, Emirates re-introduced its iconic A380 products and onboard experiences, including the Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa, as well as social areas in Business Class and First Class on select Boeing 777 aircraft following a thorough review and the implementation of additional health and safety measures. With modified services in place, customers can once again enjoy Emirates’ signature products and services onboard.

The Emirates’ First Class experience has been a showcase for product innovations like private suites, the in-flight Shower Spa, the Onboard Lounge and many other industry firsts, taking the flying experience to a whole new level. Service was temporarily modified however many of the signature products and services have now been restored, and travelling First Class on Emirates remains an unparalleled experience.

Emirates’ premium customers can enjoy the airline’s Business Class lounge in Concourse B in Dubai. With safety and hygiene measures in place, the lounge in DXB offers Emirates’ premium customers a haven of relaxation, gradually reviving its renowned pre-pandemic offerings such as full food and beverage services, quiet areas, among other experiences.

The Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2020 were presented virtually, and attended by hundreds of industry professionals across the region. The awards are judged by a panel of travel experts alongside the magazine’s editorial team.

By airing this special message on its ice inflight entertainment system on all flights from October, Emirates hopes to shine a light on this global problem and help more people understand what human trafficking is. With greater awareness, more suspected cases can be identified and reported, thereby protecting and preventing those at risk from becoming victims.

Human trafficking involves the movement of persons within a country or across borders into conditions of exploitation against their will by means of force, threats, abduction, or deception. In 2017, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that there were 24.9 million people trafficked globally (equivalent to the population of Australia), of which 75% are women and children[1].

As one of world’s largest connector of people and places, Emirates is committed to play its part to help stem this crime against humanity.

Partnerships and training

Through its security division, Emirates works with government agencies and organisations including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the US Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), and United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) on efforts to improve awareness of human trafficking and co-operate on effective response strategies within the air transport industry.

Recognising that frontline employees at the airport and onboard flights are uniquely placed to look out for this type of crime, Emirates has for several years invested in training programmes to help its airport and crew workforce to be aware of this crime, and give them the tools to identify and report suspected cases of human trafficking to the appropriate law enforcement organisations.

At Emirates’ hub at Dubai International Airport, a team of aviation security personnel receive special training from embassy partners on how to spot potential human traffickers while checking travel documents and conduct passenger profiling and behavioural analysis.

Since 2017, Emirates’ crew and customer facing ground staff have been accessing an e-learning module specially developed with the UK Home Office on the ‘Prevention of on-board Crime’. One of the first airlines to roll out this type of training, which encourages employees to be more observant of customer behaviour, in particular behaviours associated with someone who might be engaged in human trafficking or someone who could be a victim. The course provides scenarios of what crew might encounter onboard and guidance on how they should respond.

The Emirates Group has an anti-slavery and human trafficking policy, and publishes transparency statements on the Modern Slavery Act annually as part of its ongoing commitment to combat this crime.

ABOUT IT’S A PENALTY: Since 2014, It’s a Penalty has been working to disrupt the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world: human trafficking and exploitation. It’s a Penalty raises awareness and educates the community by providing a platform - equipping people with the tools to protect those who are being exploited or trafficked. The Campaign’s incredible impact is a result of collaboration with strategic stakeholders, such as high-profile sporting athletes, the travel and tourism industry – including airlines, hotels, and transportation companies – sporting governing bodies/hosting committees, NGOs, governments, and corporations.

Instagram: @its_apenalty - Twitter: @its_apenalty - Facebook: FB.com/itsapenaltycampaign

[1] International Labor Organization (ILO), Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, 2017 and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2016