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Emirates pilot requirements 2026
To fly for Emirates, first officers need at least 2,000 hours and captains at least 7,000 hours. 4 open vacancies list their own requirements below.
General requirements
| First officer, minimum hours | 2,000 hours |
|---|---|
| Captain, minimum hours | 7,000 hours |
| Licence and medical | ICAO ATPL with unrestricted Class 1 medical; English ELP 4 (first officer) or ELP 5 (captain roles) |
| Type rating | Provided by Emirates (type-rated or not) |
| Training bond | USD 42,000 over 42 months for first officers and captains on the passenger fleet |
| Other | 150 hours on type in the last 12 months. First officer: current Boeing or Airbus fly-by-wire, 2,000+ hours. Accelerated Command: current pilot in command on Airbus FBW or Boeing, 5,000+ hours. Direct Entry Captain: Airbus pilot in command, 7,000+ hours. Command upgrade later: 6,000+ hours total, 2,000+ hours in an operating seat on the Emirates type, 6+ EBT modules, minimum age 30. |
Requirements in the open adverts (4)
| Vacancy | Total hours | Command (PIC) | Type rating | Licence | Age | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated Command Programme | 5,000 (excluding P3, rotary and piston aircraft) | 2,000 command on Boeing/Airbus FBW types, including 1,000 on Airbus FBW (excl. A220) | Not needed | ATPL | – | ICAO level 5 or above |
| Direct Entry Captain (Airbus FBW) | 7,000 multi-crew multi-engine (excluding P3, rotary, piston and simulator time) | 3,000 PIC on Airbus FBW wide-body for A380, or on any Airbus FBW for A350 (excl. A220) | Not needed | ATPL | – | ICAO level 5 or above |
| First Officer | 2,000 hours | – | Not needed | ICAO ATPL (frozen ATPL holders may be invited under FATPL terms) | – | ICAO level 4 (level 5 for enhanced package) |
| Licensed Aircraft Engineer - Line Maintenance (Emirates Engineering) | – | – | At least 2 aircraft type approvals, including one of A380, A350 or B777 | Licensed aircraft engineer; degree in engineering or a maintenance engineering licence | – | – |
Taken from each advert. The advert itself always prevails.
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