Emirates Airline said on Tuesday that it was targeting Abu Dhabi in a bid to recruit additional cabin crew to help service the company’s expanding fleet and route network.
Emirates is seeking to recruit around 3,000 cabin crew this year and is holding an open day in the UAE capital, the first since October 2008.
The move comes just weeks after Abu Dhabi airline Etihad announced it will no longer provide accommodation allowances to new staff choosing to live outside Abu Dhabi.
Online forums suggested the new policy, which also gives existing staff a grace period of 12 months to move to the UAE capital, could prompt its staff currently living in Dubai to look for jobs with Emirates and flydubai.
It is understood that many of Abu Dhabi’s 8,500-strong workforce who are currently taking advantage of lower rents in Dubai could be affected.
With a large number of Arabic speaking destinations served, Emirates said it was also working hard to further increase its Arabic language crew count.
When Emirates last visited Abu Dhabi in 2008, more than 150 people applied for a cabin crew position.
The cabin crew open day will be held on May 29 at the Al Maha Ariaan by Rotana, Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi.
The event will provide interested candidates with a chance to submit their resumes to the Emirates recruitment team, the airline said.
The following day pre-selected candidates identified from the previous day will go through the assessment and selection process, it added.
Rick Helliwell, Emirates vice president, Recruitment said: “Life as an Emirates Cabin Crew member is both diverse and rewarding and it is not surprising that we receive over 5,000 applications for cabin crew positions each and every month.”
More than 11,000 cabin crew, spanning 129 nationalities, currently serve the airline’s 102 destinations. All are based in Dubai.
