Emirates to fill pilot gap with exodus from Etihad, Norwegian

Emirates may feed its appetite for new pilots with recruits from ailing neighbour Etihad Airways and cash-strapped discounter Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, according to an internal memo from the Gulf carrier. Hong Kong Airlines has also contacted Emirates about opportunities to temporarily transfer some cockpit crew, according to the document. Pilots at the unit of beleaguered HNA Group are Airbus SE-rated, meaning they could be trained to fly the Mideast company’s A380 superjumbos. “The current situation with several airlines in financial difficulty globally leaves Emirates in a good position to be sourcing and selecting good-quality pilots,” the memo says. It said the airline recruited 52 pilots last month, the highest number since August 2016, and that the number of viable applications it’s receiving “is higher than the number of candidates that can be invited.” Emirates declined to comment on the communication, which was dated Jan. 29 and appeared to be a meeting report. A spokeswoman said there are sufficient pilots for current operations, though the airline will “continue to welcome qualified candidates.” Norwegian Air said it’s not uncommon for members of any company’s workforce to seek opportunities elsewhere. <br/>