National Cadet Pilot Programme (Emiratisation) - Emirates

Pay and conditions, as pilots report them

Figures reported by pilots, not confirmed by the airline, each one dated (last update: July 2026). For information only.

• Captain: about AED 575,000 a year take-home (no income tax in the UAE), plus school fees and housing, a package of about AED 1,116,000 excluding pension; or about AED 24,200 a month instead of company housing (July 2026).
• First officer: about AED 385,000 a year take-home, plus schooling and housing (worth about AED 225,000), a package of about AED 853,800 excluding pension; or about AED 18,755 a month instead of company housing (July 2026).
• Flight pay: about AED 85.50 per block hour for a captain and AED 63 for a first officer; beyond about 86 hours a month, AED 760 and AED 536 per hour (August 2025).
• Pension: the airline pays 12% of salary for the first 10 years, then 15%; the pilot pays 5% (July 2026).
• Rosters: at least 8 days off a month, 800 to 900 flying hours a year; blocks of days off almost impossible to get, commuting very difficult (August 2025). Leave: 42 days in the contract, 30 guaranteed (2023).
• Staff travel: ID50 tickets from joining, ID90 and ZED after 6 months, economy or business for first officers, business or first for captains; many discounts in the UAE.
• Hiring: under way, but selected candidates often wait more than 12 months to be called; outlook described as positive (May 2026). Command in about 7 years.
• Profile: first officer, at least 2,000 hours on fly-by-wire Airbus or modern Boeing, 150 of them in the last 12 months, ICAO English level 4; captain, 7,000 hours including 3,000 in command on Airbus wide-bodies, ICAO English level 5.

Reports published on pilotjobsnetwork.com