Emirates Pilot Salary

How much does Emirates pilot make per month?

Flying to about 152 destinations and with a fleet size of about 262 aircraft, Emirates, owned by the Dubai Government, is one of the largest airlines in the world. About 19 million passengers chose to fly by Emirates in 2021-22.

Besides the in-flight opulence, state-of-the-art aircraft, fleet efficiency, low-fuel emissions, excellent services, and a record number of destinations, Emirates is also known for being one of the highest paymasters in the world.

Being a pilot with this prestigious airliner comes with the guarantee of higher compensation and an attractive cost-of-living package. Continue reading to know more about the salary, perks, and more of a Captain and a First Officer for the airline.

Emirates Pilot Salary per Month

Understanding the Difference between a First Officer and a Pilot

Pilots recruited by airline companies are either First Officers or Captains. First Officers are commercial pilots with the main responsibility of operating and navigating the aircraft. They are recruited to work alongside the airline captain in the cockpit. Their role is mainly to provide assistance. Often called the second-in-hand or SIC, they occupy the right seat.

The Captain, on the other hand, is the Pilot-in-Command or PIC. They occupy the left seat in the cockpit. The post of a First Officer is the first step in becoming a pilot which is possible only after gaining enough experience. The pilot is the decision-maker in the cockpit and has the final word when it comes to handling the safety of the aircraft.

Salary of an Emirate Captain

An airline captain on the Emirates earns the following on a monthly basis: (Ref: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/)

• Basic Salary & Flying Pay: AED 43,650/USD 11,884 per month.
• Housing Allowance: AED 20,000/USD 5,445 per month. The option of company provided accommodation is also available. The allowance is paid to local recruits in Dubai who have rented accommodation or purchased a property in the city.

Perks for the Captain

• Education Allowance (Dubai/Overseas): AED 42,750/USD 11,639 for primary education and AED 65,250/USD 17,765 for secondary education per child per year. The benefit is given to families with a maximum of 3 kids aged between 4 and 19 years.
• Productivity Pay: AED 730/USD 199 per block hour over and above the monthly target.
• Annual Leave: 42 calendar days.
• End of Service or Provident Fund
• Chauffeur-driven pick up and drop from home to the Dubai Airport.
• Platinum Discount Card comes with attractive discounts in the leisure sector, retails, and various other service providers.
• Company Uniform. Dry-cleaning facilities in Dubai.
• Annual Profit sharing is also a perk given as per eligibility.
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Loss of License Insurance
• Annual Leave Tickets in Business Class to the pilot and dependents. The tickers can be upgraded to First Class.
• For Staff Travel, pilots are eligible to travel in Economy, Business, or First Class.

Additional Benefits: Besides the above perks, the salary drawn by Emirates pilots is tax-free. Other than these, pilots are eligible to bid for flying to their preferred destinations on the advanced rostering system of the airline company.

Salary of a First Officer on the Emirates Airline

The salary of a First Officer in the Emirates is as per the details below: (Ref: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/)

• Basic Salary & Flying Pay: AED 30,826/USD 8,393 per month
• Housing Allowance: AED 15,500/USD 4,220 per month. The option of company provided accommodation is also available. The allowance is paid to local recruits in Dubai who have rented accommodation or purchased a property in the city.

Perks Given to the First Officer

Additional Benefits: Besides the above perks, the salary drawn by Emirates Captains & First Officers is tax-free. Other than these, pilots are eligible to bid for flying to their preferred destinations on the advanced rostering system of the airliner.

• Education Allowance (Dubai/Overseas): AED 42,750/USD 11,639 for primary education and AED 65,250/USD 17,765 for secondary education per child per year. The benefit is given to families with a maximum of 3 kids aged between 4 and 19 years.
• Productivity Pay: AED 515/USD 140 per block hour over and above the monthly target.
• Annual Leave: 42 calendar days.
• End of Service or Provident Fund
• Chauffeur-driven pick up and drop from home to the Dubai Airport.
• Platinum Discount Card comes with attractive discounts in the leisure sector, retail, and various other service providers.
• Company Uniform. Dry-cleaning facilities in Dubai.
• Annual Profit sharing is also a perk given as per eligibility.
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Loss of License Insurance
• Annual Leave Tickets in Economy Class to the First Officer and dependents. The tickers can be upgraded to Business Class.
• For Staff Travel, First Officers are eligible to travel in Economy or Business class.

Emirates Pilots’ Nationalities

The Emirates Group has a diverse work culture. People from across 160 nationalities are currently employed with the group making it global in the true sense of the word. As per H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman of the Group, people from all continents are employed at the Group.

Thus, the nationalities of the pilots working for Emirates are also diversified. In most cases, they are foreigners from the UK, Australia, Canada, etc., currently working as cockpit crew members.

Female Pilots in Emirates Airline

About 40% or more of the workforce at the Emirates are women. The airline company has a robust reputation for hiring women pilots. As of 2020, the company had lady pilots from as many as 30 nationalities, aged between 23 and 62 years.

Requirements for Emirates Pilot

For Captain (Ref: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/)

• A total of 7,000 flying hours minimum for a multi-engine and multi-crew aircraft. The total time takes into consideration only the time spent in the operating seat of a turbojet or a turboprop aircraft. Time spent on a simulator is not counted.
• A minimum of 3,000 hours need to be spent on a recent Command of a wide-body Airbus which could be A340, A350, or A380.
• At the time of joining, the person, within the last 12 months, needs to have been in flight for 150 hours in command.
• Licensed Pilot holding ICAO ATPL certification with unrestricted Class 1 medical.
• A Level 5 ICAO equivalent fluency in English or above.

For First Officer (Ref: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/)

• The candidate must have 2,000 or more hours of flying experience on an Airbus Fly-by-wire (FBW) or a Boeing (modern).
• Licensed Pilot holding ICAO ATPL certification with unrestricted Class 1 medical.
• A Level 4 ICAO equivalent fluency in English or above.

Conclusion

On Glassdoor, Emirates has a star rating of 4.1 out of 5. The top two aspects that employees have rated are ‘Diversity and Inclusion’, and ‘Compensation and Benefits.’ The company also runs the National Cadet Pilot Programme for local Emiratis at the Emirates Flight Training Academy in Dubai. Interested aspirants can join the program and start from ground school to get trained to work as First Officers.

For expats, too, the airliner offers fabulous compensation packages along with multiple benefits to trained First Officers and Captains. If you have been dreaming of working with one of the world’s best airline companies, Emirates should be high on your list.

FAQs

What kind of contract do pilots have with Emirates?

It is an open-ended contract. As per the Dubai Government’s regulations, all employees at Emirates are required to sign a 3-year non-binding renewable contract.

Is there a probationary period at Emirates?

Yes, starting from the day the employee joins, there is a probationary period of six months.

How many days off do pilots get as per the Emirates policy? Are the day offs spent in Dubai?

The airline policy permits a minimum of eight days off. Yes, the off days are spent in Dubai.

Which routes do Emirates pilot fly?

The routes can be of 24-hour operation and can belong to a single sector or multiple sectors. The duration of the routes can vary from 1 day to 9 days. There can be a mix of long-haul and ultra-long-haul routes.