Emirates to build cabin crew village in Dubai as growth takes off

• Plot will house up to 12,000 crew
• Supports move to Al Maktoum International
• Employee base up 3% in six months

Dubai flag carrier Emirates is building a cabin crew village in Dubai Investments Park (DIP) to accommodate up to 12,000 employees.

The move will support the airline’s transition to Al Maktoum International Airport and expansion, driven by a growing fleet.

The Emirates Group’s employee base grew by 3 percent to 124,927 as of September 30, 2025, compared to March 31 last year, the airline said in its half-year profit statement for 2025-26. 

The Emirates airline and aviation services company dnata, both part of the group, will continue recruitment drives to support future requirements.

In November, Emirates ordered 65 aircraft, worth a total of $38 billion at list prices, from Boeing. The airline has 315 widebody aircraft on order from the US plane maker, comprising 270 777Xs, 10 777 freighters and 35 787s.

The airline will also invest $10 billion to $12 billion in Al Maktoum International, the chairman and CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, has said.

Al Maktoum International is intended to replace Dubai International Airport as the city’s primary aviation gateway by 2032. 

Work on the cabin crew village is set to commence in the second quarter of 2026, with the first phase expected to be completed in 2029, Emirates said in a statement.

The project will be developed on long-term leasehold land and consist of 20 residential buildings, each rising 19 storeys. 

No financial details were provided.

Further reading:

• Emirates tops rising air fares to Heathrow
• Emirates Group delivers record annual profit
• Emirates Group’s Dnata explores sale of UK travel brands

Emirates reported a first-half profit before tax for 2025-26 of AED11.4 billion ($3.1 billion), up 17 percent year on year. Revenue increased 6 percent to AED65.6 billion, while operating costs grew by 4 percent. 

DIP, developed by Dubai Investments in 1999, is home to more than 1,200 companies, over 4,000 subleases and 150,000 residents.

Airbus has forecast that the Middle East will need to recruit more than 265,000 people in the aviation sector over the next 20 years, including 69,000 pilots, 64,000 technicians and 132,000 cabin crew.