Emirates to hire 5,000 cabin crew amid expansion drive

[SINGAPORE] Dubai's Emirates airline is looking to hire 5,000 new cabin crew globally this year, with a recruitment roadshow set in Singapore next week, as the group embarks on fleet expansion plans.
In a press statement on Friday (Jun 13), Emirates said the hiring spree will span more than 460 cities across six continents. Its invite-only recruitment drive in Singapore will take place on Jun 19, but more are planned throughout the year, with the next one scheduled for Jul 19.
As at June 2025, more than 70 members of its 24,000-strong cabin crew were from Singapore. The airline has not set a limit on the number of people hired in Singapore or elsewhere, it said.
Emirates is also hiring 1,550 new pilots within the next two years, with more than 550 recruited this year, it said last month.
The recruitment drive follows its push to expand its network and fleet.
Last November, the airline received the first of 65 Airbus A350-900 jets it had ordered. This was also the first new aircraft type to join its fleet since 2008.
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Emirates has since retrofitted a slew of A380s and rolled out these refreshed aircraft to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Perth, among other destinations. It also launched more daily non-stop flights within Asia, with services in Da Nang, Vietnam; Shenzhen, China; and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The airline said it also has 59 A350 jets and a mix of 205 Boeing 777-9 and 777-8 aircraft in its order book. 'The new aircraft will expand the airline's reach and provide flexibility to add new routes to its network,' it added.
Jetstar shutdown
Emirates' hiring spree comes on the heels of Jetstar Asia's shutdown, which saw more than 500 staff laid off in Singapore.
Parent company Qantas, Australia's flag carrier, on Wednesday announced that it will wind down the operations of the Singapore-based unit on Jul 31, as rising costs threaten the sustainability of its business.
Jetstar Asia's closure affects 16 intra-Asia routes – including flights from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila – but will not affect Jetstar's operations in Australia, New Zealand or Japan.
The budget airline's fleet of 13 Airbus aircraft will be redeployed within the Qantas Group to support growth in Australia and New Zealand.
Labour chief Ng Chee Meng has said that the National Trades Union Congress was exploring possible opportunities to match retrenched Jetstar Asia employees, including crew and corporate staff, to suitable roles within the Singapore Airlines Group.
SIA and its budget arm, Scoot, also said they will ramp up flights to various Asian destinations after Jetstar Asia ceases operations.

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