The surprising reason why hundreds of people are lining up down this small suburban street in the Philippines
Hundreds of people are queuing as early as 1am to take their chance on the coveted job as a flight attendant at Emirates.
The queue stretched down a street in the Philippines, where Emirates is the top choice of aspiring cabin crew due to the airline’s ‘exceptional’ working conditions.
Emirates’ recruitment process is known for being ‘selective, arduous and challenging’, requiring applicants to meet a stringent set of requirements and go through multiple interview stages
The Dubai-based airline holds Open Days in more than 460 cities around the world where people can submit their CV and see if they have what it takes to be part of the airline’s team.
The requirements state that, to be part of the cabin crew, potential employees must be over 160 cm tall and be able to reach a height of 212 cm, be able to speak and write fluent English, be at least 21 years old and have a ‘ must be a natural team player with a radiant personality’. ‘.
Thousands of people lined up on the streets of the Philippines hoping to get a job as an Emirates flight attendant. The recruitment process is notoriously challenging
To apply, people must also have at least one year of hospitality or customer service experience, have at least a high school education, have no visible tattoos and be able to meet UAE employment visa requirements.
Every recruitment event has a dress code that requires women to have their hair neatly done, ‘full make-up’, business attire and heels.
Men should be neat and clean-shaven, wearing a suit or smart business attire and formal work shoes.
During the Open Day, the Emirates team will provide an overview of the role and applicants who impress recruiters will be invited to return for the Cabin Crew Assessment Day.
On Crew Assessment Day, participants must complete a series of group activities, some of which will be eliminated in the process, as well as interviews and outreach, written English and personality tests.
Those who make it to the final stage must go through another interview in which they are asked questions about what they find challenging, how they deal with stress, the worst mistake they ever made and which nationalities they think are the most difficult to deal with of.
Emirates receives more than 200,000 applications for cabin crew positions each year, but will have a team of just 20,000 flight attendants worldwide as of August 2023.
Air travel blogger Mond Ortiz from the Philippines saw people queuing in the early hours of Sunday morning and by daylight the line had extended hundreds of meters beyond the large shopping center across the road.
Emirates receives more than 200,000 applications for cabin crew positions each year, but will have a team of just 20,000 flight attendants worldwide as of August 2023
“The line is significantly longer than that of Qatar Airways recruitment in 2022,” he noted in a Facebook post.
“In addition, Emirates’ recruitment would be stricter and more challenging than that of Qatar Airways, with crew selection being highly selective and slots limited.”
Cabin crew positions are highly sought after due to the airline’s reputation for treating their staff with exceptional care, providing them with a generous tax-free salary and many perks.
Benefits include travel and subsistence allowances, travel discounts, health insurance and laundry services.
Those who get the job after a rigorous recruitment process will then have to complete a seven-and-a-half week training program before being allowed into the air.
Trainees learn all about aircraft safety, undergo medical and security training and learn how to present themselves impeccably and provide first-class hospitality and customer service.
From April 11 to 26 there will be Emirates Open Days in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.
The recruitment day is by invitation only, as participants must complete an online registration form.