Emirates turns to Manila for first pilot recruitment drive in the Philippines

Emirates will hold its first pilot recruitment roadshow in the Philippines on October 28 and 29, 2026, the Dubai-based carrier announced on October 8, as it looks for experienced aviators to support its growing fleet and rising passenger demand.

The roadshow will take place in Manila in partnership with local recruitment agency Industrial Personnel and Management Services Inc. (IPAMS). Sessions are scheduled for 10:00 and 13:00 local time on October 28 and 10:00 local time on October 29.

Emirates seeks first officers and captains, including narrowbody pilots moving to widebodies

The airline is recruiting experienced commercial pilots as first officers and direct entry captains, as well as through its Accelerated Command Program.

The sessions will also cover a new campaign aimed at experienced narrowbody captains who want to move directly into command on Emirates’ all-widebody fleet.

“Emirates pilots fly one of the world’s youngest and most modern all wide-body fleets across a global network,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, Emirates’ country manager for the Philippines. “We look forward to welcoming more pilots from the Philippines onboard our airline as we ramp up our operations globally.”

Fleet growth drives demand for crew, with training at a new $135 million center in Dubai

The recruitment drive is linked to Emirates’ fleet expansion. The airline has taken delivery of 27 Airbus A350s, with 47 more on order, and has 270 Boeing 777X aircraft on order.

Successful candidates will be based in Dubai and trained at the airline’s facilities, including its new $135 million Crew Training Centre. The center has six full-flight simulator bays for the A350 and 777X.

Emirates said its pilots receive a tax-free salary, 42 days of annual leave, company-provided housing, child education allowances, insurance coverage and travel benefits for family members.

The airline has served the Philippines for 36 years and currently operates 32 weekly flights linking Manila, Cebu and Clark with Dubai, following a capacity increase earlier this year.

Recruitment push follows an expat exodus from the Gulf after the Iran war began

The roadshow comes after months of disruption in the Gulf, where the conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, prompted many foreign residents to leave.

In March 2026, German media outlet bne IntelliNews reported that Dubai was seeing its biggest outflow of foreign residents in decades as the war entered its third week, with Dubai International Airport (DXB) running at about 70% of capacity. According to official data cited by AFP, more than 60,000 residents left Dubai as it came under heavy attack in March 2026.

Among British nationals, around one in eight residents left the UAE before a ceasefire was announced in April, according to a report cited by The New Arab. Roughly 240,000 Britons, including tourists, had been in the country before the war. The Australian Financial Review reported that an estimated 100,000 Australian expats were living in the Middle East, in cities including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh, when the attacks began, though it said the number who had returned home was still unclear.

The departures raised concerns in the region. The Financial Times reported in March 2026 that UAE authorities had privately indicated they would relax tax residency rules for expats who left, as part of efforts to encourage them to return.

AFP reported in August 2026 that six months into the war, most foreign workers and expatriates in the Gulf had largely stayed, many choosing to wait out the uncertainty rather than return to weaker job prospects at home.

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