Emirates recalls some furloughed pilots as operations ramp up
Emirates airline said some of its pilots who were furloughed last year due to Covid-19 have returned to work as it ramps up its operations amid signs of a recovery in air travel. “As demand slowly and gradually returns, Emirates has been positioning itself to support the scaling up of operations and we have already recalled some of our pilots back to flying status,” an Emirates spokeswoman told The National yesterday.
She did not specify the number of pilots, the timetable of return or the size of the network’s restored capacity. “We will continue reviewing our resourcing requirements in tandem with the ramp-up of our network and fleet,” said the spokeswoman. The coronavirus pandemic hit the aviation industry hard, forcing airlines around the world to preserve cash by grounding aircraft and laying off or furloughing employees.
In November 2020, Emirates said it was offering some pilots unpaid leave of 12 months, with the possibility of an early recall, as the industry faced coronavirus-induced headwinds.
The airline supported furloughed pilots through benefits such as accommodation, medical cover for them and their dependents, educational support allowances for eligible children and the negotiation of fee reductions with select schools in the UAE, the spokeswoman said.
