Emirates Rules Out Job Cuts, Says Hiring Continues Despite Regional Turmoil

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Emirates has not implemented any job cuts and has continued hiring throughout the recent regional turbulence, a senior official said on Tuesday.

“We never stopped or froze hiring. We are continuing to hire because Emirates is continuing to grow,” Adnan Kazim, deputy president and chief commercial officer, said when asked about any restructuring involving jobs.

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Asked directly whether there had been any job losses during the crisis, he said:“No. We carried on as normal, and that philosophy and that policy will continue into the future.”

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The aviation sector was impacted after the war broke out between the US, Israel and Iran on February 28, with flights and airports temporarily suspended. But the UAE aviation sector proved resilient and bounced back strongly in the past few months.

Dubai Airports' chief executive Paul Griffiths also confirmed in a recent interview that there were no layoffs due to the regional conflict.

Strong winter bookings

In an interview with Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2026, Kazim said Emirates was tracking close to 96 per cent of its capacity, with the carrier carrying 8.6 million passengers in July and August combined at a 75 per cent seat factor.

He described the period as strong, with retained bookings running seven per cent above last year's levels.

He added that booking momentum has carried into the winter season, which begins in October, with intake over the last three weeks running on par with the same period last year.

“Demand is coming from Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East,” he said.

Kazim added that Dubai's packed winter calendar of exhibitions and concerts is expected to support the trend, alongside measures such as scrapping date-change penalties, cutting refund fees to a minimum, and introducing comprehensive travel insurance to build traveller confidence.

Emirates is also adding capacity for winter, including more frequencies on 11 existing routes, additional A380 aircraft on some markets, and a new destination, Finland, coming online.

Accelerating Starlink rollout

The airline's rollout of SpaceX's Starlink Wi-Fi has expanded to 53 aircraft, with 12 to 14 additional planes being fitted each month, Kazim said.

Separately, Kazim confirmed that the Dubai flagship carrier's retrofit programme - backed by a $5 billion investment - remains under way alongside the Starlink rollout.

Emirates remains on track to equip 232 aircraft by next year, he said, adding that some customers had switched flights specifically to access the service and describing demand for the connectivity as“very positive”.

Fuel costs, DWC relocation

Kazim acknowledged that high fuel prices - currently around $110 a barrel - remain a persistent challenge, though the airline is partly hedged and manages costs through a combination of pricing, fuel surcharges and hedging.

He expressed hope that prices would ease gradually, noting that sustained high fuel costs risk triggering recessions globally.

Oil prices eased slightly on Tuesday after hitting $108 a barrel, with Brent trading at $105 a barrel on Tuesday evening.

Fuel and employee cost were the airline's two biggest cost components in 2025-26, followed by cost of ownership (depreciation and amortisation). Fuel accounted for 29 per cent of operating costs in 2025-26 compared to 31 per cent in 2024-25. The airline's fuel bill decreased slightly to Dh31.2 billion in 2025-26 compared to Dh32.6 billion the previous year.

On Emirates' eventual relocation to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), Kazim said work on the project remained on track, with Dubai South continuing to invest towards a 2032 completion target.

He declined to give a specific figure for Emirates' own infrastructure investment at Al Maktoum International Airport, saying it would be a long-term commitment delivered in phases.

Asked about the financial impact of the regional crisis, Kazim said full details would be disclosed in the airline's results, expected in November, but pointed to a swift operational recovery and reinforced confidence in the Emirates brand, crediting close coordination across Dubai's aviation, tourism and government entities.

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