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Remote stagePractise this phase
Emirates recruits direct entry first officers with at least 2,000 hours on a jet of 20 tonnes or more (Boeing 777) or 50 tonnes or more (A380, A350), plus 1,000 hours on type, and runs the selection in two stages. Stage one is remote: a HireVue video interview, psychometrics, abstract reasoning and a live digital panel interview. Stage two takes two days in Dubai with a simulator assessment, Advanced COMPASS and the Emirates medical, plus a travel day either side, and Emirates provides your flight. Facts checked 25 October 2026.231
Emirates direct entry first officer selection: stages, tests and how to prepare
Direct entry for experienced pilots: from 2,000 jet hours as first officer, a two-stage selection, and a tax-free package.
- First Officer: Boeing 777
- Minimum 2,000 hours total on a jet of 20 tonnes or more (excluding P3, rotary and piston), 1,000 hours on Boeing type, currently flying the type, 150 hours on type in the past 12 months3
- First Officer: Airbus A380 and A350
- Minimum 2,000 hours total on a jet of 50 tonnes or more, 1,000 hours on Airbus FBW, currently flying Airbus FBW, 150 hours on type in the past 12 months3
- Enhanced First Officer package
- 4,000 hours on a jet of 20 tonnes or more and 2,000 hours on a jet of 50 tonnes or more at the time of assessment, with ICAO English level 5 or above3
- Accelerated Command
- Minimum 5,000 hours total, 2,000 hours command on Boeing or Airbus FBW, 1,000 hours command on Airbus FBW, Airbus FBW type flown in the last 3 years, 150 hours in the past 12 months; you join as an Airbus first officer, and after 700 stick hours in the right-hand seat and two EBT modules you become eligible for accelerated command via an assessment process and an upgrade course4
- Direct Entry Captain
- Minimum 7,000 hours total, 150 hours in the past 12 months as an Airbus FBW captain, and 3,000 hours PIC on Airbus FBW wide-body for the A380 or on any Airbus FBW for the A3505
- Licence and English
- Valid ICAO ATPL with matching authority Class 1 medical; ICAO English level 4 or above for first officers, level 5 or above for command roles; pilots with a frozen ATPL can be invited under frozen ATPL terms3
- Selection stages
- Two stages: stage one is remote (HireVue video interview, psychometrics, abstract reasoning, live digital panel interview); stage two is in Dubai over two days (simulator assessment, Advanced COMPASS, Emirates medical assessment)1
- Travel for the assessment
- Emirates provides you and your legal spouse with a return Economy ticket, upgradable to Business subject to availability, to Dubai from your nearest destination in the Emirates network; allow a travel day on either side of the two days1
- Logbooks
- Complete certified logbook records are required when you are invited for assessment: a stamp from your fleet manager or chief pilot, or a stamped original letter from your airline's fleet department or authority1
- If you are not successful
- If you are eligible, Emirates emails the timeframes and details for reapplication1
- Training bond
- USD 42,000 for first officers and captains, applying to flight crew on the passenger fleet for 42 months1
- Probation
- Six months from your date of joining1
- First Officer package
- Tax-free total package of up to AED 900,000 (USD 245,000) a year; take-home cash about AED 385,000 a year or AED 32,100 a month based on 85 flying hours; enhanced package AED 935,000 total2
- Accelerated Command package
- Total package of up to AED 970,000 (USD 260,000); take-home AED 37,100 a month based on 85 flying hours7
- Direct Entry Captain package
- Total package of up to AED 1,185,000 (USD 320,000); take-home AED 48,000 a month based on 85 flying hours6
- Leave and benefits
- 42 calendar days of annual leave, company accommodation, education allowance and medical benefits for the family2
- Type training after joining
- Boeing 777 initial and conversion takes 40 to 55 days; Airbus A380 takes 45 to 55 days1
About Emirates
Based in the United Arab Emirates, Emirates is a full-service and cargo airline. Its airline codes are EK (IATA) and UAE (ICAO). Its hub is Dubai International (DXB). Its fleet includes the Airbus A350-900, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER. Linked to Emirates on this site: Emirates Flight Training Academy.
Emirates runs a cadet route for future pilots: the Emirates Flight Training Academy cadet programme and the National Cadet Pilot Programme (UAE nationals). Partner for the programme: Emirates Flight Training Academy. There is also a direct-entry route for first officers and captains. The link to the pilot careers portal is in the profile on this page. This page sets out the selection in 2 stages.
The two phases
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Assessment in DubaiPractise this phase
Where to train for Emirates
One flight school has a published link with this airline. Each entry says what the link is and who states it.
Emirates Flight Training AcademyDubai, United Arab EmiratesAirline's own academyNamed by the airline and the school
Emirates at a glance
- IATA / ICAO
- EK / UAE8
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Hubs
- Dubai International (DXB)8
- Fleet
- Airbus A350-900, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-300ER9
- Cadet programme
- Emirates Flight Training Academy cadet programme; National Cadet Pilot Programme (UAE nationals) (rolling as of 28 Oct 2026)11011
- Direct entry
- First officers, Captains1
GROUP AIRLINES, ACADEMIES AND PROGRAMMESEmirates Flight Training Academy · selection guide
SALARYFirst officer: AED 385,000 a year (take home cash, 2026-10)First officer: AED 32,100 a month (take home cash, 2026-10)First officer: AED 900,000 a year (total package incl. housing, 2026-10)Emirates pilot salary
What does Emirates ask of pilots?
- Total time
- First Officer from 2,000 hours on a jet of 20 tonnes or more (B777) or 50 tonnes or more (A380, A350)3
- Time on type
- 1,000 hours on Boeing type or Airbus FBW; 150 hours on type in the past 12 months3
- Licence
- Valid ICAO ATPL with matching authority Class 1 medical; frozen ATPL holders can be invited3
- English
- ICAO English level 4 or above (level 5 for command roles and the enhanced package)3
- Logbooks
- Complete certified records at assessment1
Which roles this page covers
This page covers the Emirates selection for experienced pilots, led by the first officer route; Accelerated Command and Direct Entry Captain are described alongside it. Emirates describes its current selection process as held in two stages, set out below. Emirates cadets who train at its own academy follow a different, six-stage route that has its own page.
Emirates flies the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380 and A350. Hours thresholds start at 2,000 for first officers, 5,000 for Accelerated Command and 7,000 for Direct Entry Captain, and your type decides which requirements apply to you.1245
Requirements by role
First officers on the Boeing 777 need at least 2,000 hours on a jet of 20 tonnes or more, excluding P3, rotary and piston aircraft, plus 1,000 hours on Boeing type, and you must currently be flying the type. Airbus A380 and A350 first officers need 2,000 hours on a jet of 50 tonnes or more and 1,000 hours on Airbus FBW. All first officer candidates need 150 hours on type in the past 12 months, a valid ICAO ATPL with a matching authority Class 1 medical and ICAO English level 4 or above.
The enhanced first officer package opens at 4,000 hours total on a jet of 20 tonnes or more, with 2,000 hours on a jet of 50 tonnes or more, and ICAO English level 5 or above. Pilots with a frozen ATPL, meaning a CPL plus completed ATPL theory exams, can be invited under frozen ATPL terms and conditions.
Accelerated Command offers experienced narrow-body captains a fast track to command on the widebody fleet. It asks for 5,000 hours total, 2,000 hours of command time on Boeing or Airbus FBW, 1,000 hours of command on Airbus FBW and an Airbus FBW type flown within three years. You join as an Airbus first officer; after 700 stick hours in the right-hand seat and two EBT modules, and assuming you meet the standards, you become eligible for accelerated command via an assessment process and an upgrade course. Direct Entry Captain needs 7,000 hours, 150 hours in the last 12 months as an Airbus FBW captain, and PIC time on Airbus FBW wide-body for the A380 or on any Airbus FBW for the A350. Both command roles need ICAO English level 5 or above.3745
Package, bond and benefits
Emirates quotes a tax-free total package for each role, calculated for an employee, spouse and two eligible children. First officers can reach up to AED 900,000 (USD 245,000) a year, with take-home cash of about AED 385,000, which is AED 32,100 a month on 85 flying hours. Accelerated Command reaches up to AED 970,000 and Direct Entry Captain up to AED 1,185,000. Benefits include 42 calendar days of annual leave, company accommodation with utilities, an education allowance and medical cover for the family.
A training bond of USD 42,000 applies to first officers and captains on the passenger fleet for 42 months. The probation period is six months from your joining date. Type training after joining takes 40 to 55 days on the Boeing 777 and 45 to 55 days on the Airbus A380.2451
The two days in Dubai
Stage two takes place in Dubai over a two-day period and consists of the simulator assessment, Advanced COMPASS and the Emirates medical assessment. Allow a day's travel on either side. Emirates provides you and your legal spouse with a return Economy ticket from your nearest destination in the Emirates network, upgradable to Business subject to availability.
Bring complete certified logbook records, either stamped by your fleet manager or chief pilot or as a stamped original letter from your airline's fleet department or authority. If you need to move your assessment, email Pilot Recruitment; declining an accepted assessment with less than a week's notice can close your application. If you are not successful and eligible, Emirates emails the timeframes and details for reapplication.1
Interview preparation
Emirates describes crew resource management as built on effective communication, teamwork, decision-making and situational awareness, and its flight deck team brings together crew from over 140 nationalities. Use those themes as the spine of your preparation: each answer should show how you communicate, how you work with a captain or first officer you have just met, and how you decide when the plan changes.
The stage one panel interview and the HireVue video are your opportunity to make your logbook come alive. Prepare a two-minute summary of your career, your current type and your recent flying. Then prepare three operational stories using situation, action and result: a decision you made under time pressure, a time you supported a colleague, and a time you improved a procedure or learned from an error.
Spend your remaining preparation time on the simulator assessment: revisit callouts, flows, automation management and how you brief the other pilot before you fly.1
Example items
Example item 1: time arithmetic (written by our editors)
You depart at 22:40 UTC and the planned flight time is 7 hours 35 minutes. When do you arrive? Answer: 22:40 plus 7:35 is 30:15, which is 06:15 UTC the next day. Add hours first, then minutes, and subtract 24 hours when you pass midnight.
Example item 2: abstract reasoning (written by our editors)
What comes next in the series 5, 8, 14, 23? Answer: the differences are 3, 6 and 9, so the next difference is 12 and the next term is 35. When a series does not have a constant step, test the differences between the steps.
Example item 3: interview question (written by our editors)
Tell us about a flight where the situation changed after you took off. A strong answer names the change in the first sentence, explains the options you weighed, says who you consulted and what you decided, and ends with the result and what you changed afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Emirates pilot assessment process?
There are two stages. Stage one is remote: a HireVue video interview, psychometrics, abstract reasoning and a live digital panel interview. Stage two is in Dubai over two days: simulator assessment, Advanced COMPASS and the Emirates medical assessment.
How many hours do you need to fly for Emirates?
First officers start at 2,000 hours on a jet of 20 tonnes or more for the Boeing 777, or 50 tonnes or more for the A380 and A350, with 1,000 hours on type. Accelerated Command starts at 5,000 hours and Direct Entry Captain at 7,000 hours.
Which tests does the Emirates pilot assessment use?
The remote stage uses a HireVue video interview, psychometrics testing and abstract reasoning testing. In Dubai you take Advanced COMPASS and a simulator assessment.
How long does the Emirates assessment in Dubai take?
Two days, plus a travel day on either side.
Does Emirates pay for the assessment trip?
Emirates provides you and your legal spouse with a return Economy ticket to Dubai from your nearest destination in the Emirates network, upgradable to Business subject to availability.
Is there a bond at Emirates?
Yes. The training bond is USD 42,000 for first officers and captains on the passenger fleet, applying for 42 months.
How much does an Emirates first officer earn?
Emirates quotes a tax-free total package of up to AED 900,000 (USD 245,000) a year, with take-home cash of about AED 32,100 a month on 85 flying hours. The enhanced package reaches AED 935,000.
Can I reapply after an unsuccessful assessment?
If you are eligible, Emirates emails you the timeframes and details for reapplication.
Can pilots with a frozen ATPL apply?
Yes. Pilots with a frozen ATPL (CPL plus completed ATPL theory exams) can be invited for a first officer assessment under frozen ATPL terms and conditions, provided they meet the other criteria.
How do I practise for the Emirates pilot interview and tests?
Use the practice plan for this selection: Interview preparation, the Abstract reasoning set and the personality questionnaire for the remote stage, and six interactive tasks for the Dubai stage.
What you get
A practice plan for this selection with the remote stage and the Dubai stage laid out
Interview preparation with 31 questions and tips for the video and panel interviews
The Abstract reasoning set and the Big Five personality questionnaire for the remote stage
Six interactive tasks for the Dubai stage: Spatial orientation, Short-term memory, Arithmetic: mixed problems, Basic coordination, Advanced coordination and Multitasking
Free without an account: 8-question guest sets per subject, with a free weekly set of 10 questions per subject once you register
The Pilot Pass starts at €9.99 for a week with no automatic renewal, and opens the interactive tests, the full Interview preparation, the personality questionnaire and the study, test and exam modes for the question sets
- 1Pilots, including the recruitment FAQ (Emirates Group Careers)
- 2First Officer (Emirates Group Careers)
- 3First Officer vacancy (Emirates Group Careers)
- 4Accelerated Command vacancy (Emirates Group Careers)
- 5Direct Entry Captain vacancy (Emirates Group Careers)
- 6Direct Entry Captain (Emirates Group Careers)
- 7Accelerated Command (Emirates Group Careers)
- 8Wikipedia: Emirates · accessed 11 Oct 2026
- 9Wikipedia: Emirates fleet · accessed 11 Oct 2026
- 10National Cadet Pilot Programme | Emirates Group Careers · accessed 10 Oct 2026
- 11Admissions | Emirates Flight Training Academy · accessed 10 Oct 2026
- 12FAQs | Emirates Flight Training Academy · accessed 10 Oct 2026
