Emirates pilot recruitment drive: Take a 360-degree tour of an A380 cockpit

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Emirates pilot recruitment drive: Take a 360-degree tour of an A380 cockpit

By Gavin Haines
Updated
Emirates is looking to add 700 new pilots.

Emirates is looking to add 700 new pilots.

Long gone are the days when passengers could visit pilots in their cockpits, which are now strictly off-limits due to security concerns.

However, that doesn't mean passengers and would-be pilots can't have a nose around the flight deck of the world's largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380, which is the subject of a new 360-degree promotional video by Emirates.

Enlisting the presenting services of captain Thomas Ziarno and first officer Abdulrahman Mohamed Al Busaeedi, the airline has launched a video tour of an A380 cockpit, giving anoraks an insight into life at the business end of an A380.

Top Gear this isn't: there are no racy metaphors or raised voices in the demure video, which is part of a PR and recruitment drive by Emirates, as the airline looks to add an additional 700 pilots to its workforce in 2016.

Emirates is currently the largest operator of the Airbus A380 and will be taking delivery of its 80th superjumbo this week, with another 61 orders in the pipeline.

"To operate our constantly expanding fleet, we are recruiting candidates for our pilot jobs from around the world, to work alongside our multicultural team of more than 160 nationalities," said a statement on the Emirates careers website.

"Emirates pilots enjoy a competitive tax free salary, company accommodation, medical and dental insurance, annual leave and more, in addition to living a lifestyle with access to high standards of education, leisure and sports in a city that is ranked as one of the most desirable locations in the world for families – Dubai."

Those considering submitting their CVs may be encouraged by the news that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently appointed a happiness minister, in a bid to make the country more appealing to would-be residents.

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Currently the UAE is ranked the 28th happiest nation on the planet, according to the latest World Happiness Report, down from its previous position of 20th.

Those accepted onto the Emirates pilot programme could eventually get to fly the Airbus A380, which has been revolutionising air travel.

As reported recently, the double-decker plane is capable of carrying more passengers than ever before with its reconfigured seating plan, which raises the nightmarish scenario of a middle seat in the middle row.

The superjumbo has also made it possible for airlines to fly further in one single journey, as Emirates proved earlier this year when it flew a record-breaking 14,200 km flight between Dubai and Aukland.

Emirates has previously offered a 360-degree look inside its A380 cabins via Google Street View.

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