Over 10,431 Employees Added by the Group in the Past Fiscal Year, Reaching a Total of 121,223 Employees
The Emirates Group has surpassed traditional growth limits in the last decade, moving beyond merely expanding its fleet and global destinations to enter a new phase that emphasizes investing in human capital as the foundation for excellence and long-term sustainability.
The organization has placed significant emphasis on attracting top talent from around the globe while simultaneously making generous investments in training and professional development programs.
In the last fiscal year, the Emirates Group welcomed approximately 10,431 new employees, bringing the total workforce to an unprecedented 121,223, up from 110,792 at the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This marks an increase from just 95,322 employees a decade ago, reflecting a remarkable growth exceeding 27% over the last ten years, driven by well-planned hiring policies, extensive professional development programs, and profound changes in the company’s work dynamics, positioning it as one of the largest employers in the global aviation sector.
Employees have been a central focus of Emirates Airline’s growth strategy, with the workforce nearing 69,500. Among them, 23,930 are cabin crew members, constituting about 34% of the total staff at Emirates Airline. This uptick in staffing is largely fueled by the expansion of destination networks, the acquisition of new aircraft such as the Airbus A350, and the introduction of new travel classes, which necessitated the hiring of highly skilled cabin crew, technicians, and engineers.
Over the past decade, Emirates Airline has invested approximately 128.2 billion dirhams in human resources, with expenditures rising from 12.4 billion dirhams in 2015-2016 to 19 billion dirhams in 2024-2025. This increase of over 53% is part of a comprehensive effort that includes enhancing salaries and bonuses, expanding training programs, and strengthening health insurance and employee welfare systems, along with improving work environments.
In the last fiscal year, employee costs rose by 17%, attributed to the increased workforce needed to support business expansion.
Additional factors contributing to the rising costs include salary increases, promotions, enhanced bonuses, and growing expenses related to flight crews and cabin personnel, along with higher health insurance costs and other employee-related expenditures.
Meanwhile, Dnata, the ground services and logistics arm, experienced even more significant growth in staffing, with employee numbers rising from 34,117 at the end of the 2015-2016 fiscal year to approximately 51,700 at the end of the last fiscal year, representing a 51% increase due to the expansion of its global operations and entry into new markets in Europe, America, and Asia.
In the past decade, Dnata has seen substantial growth in its workforce expenditures, a direct reflection of its expanding operations worldwide. In 2015-2016, workforce spending was about 3.84 billion dirhams, whereas this figure reached 7.9 billion dirhams by the fiscal year 2024-2025, marking an increase of over 116% over ten years.
Overall, Dnata’s total expenditure on employees over the last decade amounts to around 52.9 billion dirhams, reinforcing its long-term commitment to investing in talent as a key driver of sustainable growth and operational efficiency.
This growth is not merely a byproduct of company expansion but stems from a clear vision recognizing that attracting top talent requires a stimulating and rewarding environment.
In recent years, the group has launched significant internal initiatives such as the “My Destination” center dedicated to employee services, university scholarship programs, and early training for citizens. Compensation packages in several countries have also been enhanced to address rising living costs.