Emirates Group Airline

Emirates Group Airline

Introduction and Background Information

The Emirate Group Airline is an international travel airline based in Dubai, UAE. The emirates groups operate an extensive network of airplane and cargo services across the world.  The Emirate Group manages two major subsidiary corporations, which are the Emirates Airline and the Dnata. It is ranked as the second biggest Airline in the Middle East, having the biggest Airbus 777 and the Boeing A380 fleet. It was founded in 1985 and owned by the government of Dubai.  The company owns a large fleet of airplanes and has managed to employ approximately 100,000 employees globally that are of different nationalities. The Airline has established about 150 network destinations in six continents across the globe (O’Connell p. 339).  The Airline has exclusive services and abundant financial independence that has made it perform exemplary well since its establishment. It is classified as one of the most prestigious airlifts, inflight entertainment, luxury services, cuisines, and it is famous for its internationalization of flight and modern fleet (O’Connell p. 339).

The company has established a wide range of portfolios in the transport and tourism industry. Its primary revenue sources are cargo transport, passengers, and hotel operations supported by the Airline.  In 2019, the company was listed under Forbes as the third-largest company in the UAE. The company is managed by his Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who has been the Chairman and the Chief Executive officer to the Emirates groups since its establishment. He has been the CEO of the company for more than 30 years, and under his leadership, he has been able to ensure that the company became profitable and renowned globally. Sheikh Ahmed commenced his aviation career in 1985, where he was appointed as the President to the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (O’Connell p. 340). Later in the same year, he was appointed as Chairman to the Emirates Group. He has also been serving as the CEO of the group. As the Chairman and CEO of the Emirates groups, the Sheikh is involved in overseeing all operations and making policies with the help of his surbodinate team, the board, and Emirates employees.

Job Description and Specifications

As earlier noted, the Emirates Airline is famous for its luxurious service travel which is initiated by the management and assisted by the Airhostess. Also, know as the flight attendant’s air hostess are in charge of attending to passengers during their flight and make them feel comfortable. They play a vital role in ensuring the safety of the passengers before the trip by conducting checks during the trip, attending to sick passengers, and offering items and service to passengers during the flight sessions. The air hostess at the Emirates airlines is recruited based on academic and physical attributes. Some of the basic requirements and skills to be employed as an emirates hostess include clear communication skills and mastery of fluent English language, excellent interpersonal skills, positive outlook, practice empathy. They should have the ability to maintain a calm demeanor, especially during emergencies, physically fit, and the ability to adapt to a new environment, people, and situations (Tontanavetchakul p. 135).

Further, the physical requirements for one to be an emirates hostess include being over 21 years of age. One must be 160 cm minimum height and must have an arm’s reach of 212 cm. Having being ranked as one of the leading airlines globally, the air hostess is trained on how to attend to passengers and safety measures, which includes first aid services during inflight services.

Some of the critical roles and responsibilities include attending to the passengers’ comfort and safety. They do this by reviewing the airbags, first aid kits, among other emergency equipment. Before the flight takes off, the airhostess demonstrates to passengers on how to use the equipment in case of emergencies (Tontanavetchakul 137). Further, they are also in charge of receiving passengers’ requests and serve food beverages for passengers. They are also in-charge of the deplaning process of the passengers. They ensure that the passengers are safely seated and have their seat belts before taking off the process. They also instruct passengers on where to store their luggage and carry-ons. They as well assist them in removing the luggage during their exit. They also conduct pre- and post-flight checks, which includes testing of equipment to be used by the passengers, decluttering of items of luggage after flights, and cleaning of the airplane’s interior after the trip.

Emirates Airlines usually advertises the cabin crew vacancies yearly, and the human resource manager receives approximately 140,000 applications. Out of this population, only 22,000 people are admitted as cabin crews to serve as hosts and air hostess. Before getting admitted to their jobs, the air hostess is taken through an intense eight-week training program that not only molds them to the cabin attendants practice but also safety measures. However, it exists in the job description and actual work that the cabin crew attends. In most circumstances, they end up working on a crazy hours timeline, especially when there are technical issues to a flight, and therefore, they have to take up a trip that had not been scheduled.

On average, the Emirates shift of an air hostess runs between 12-14 hours o a daily basis. However, while international routes, some get to experience even longer hours, which at times leads to burnouts and due to lack of rest (Tontanavetchakul p. 144). Therefore, the human resource manager should mentally prepare the crew on measures that they make themselves in case of such circumstances, among other work-related disappointments. Besides the job outlook, sometimes the team goes through emotional stress and trauma in case of abusive passengers, the frustration of passengers over lost luggage, or even during attacks or hijacks. Despite being trained on how to maintain their calmness, the management has not created a program whereby, the hostess can be counseled and encouraged after such life-threatening incidences. Air transport is prone to some element of risks which the management should equally evaluate and seek on measures that they can attend to their employees in-case they occur (Mantur p. 195). In most circumstances, the salary earned, and hurdles and challenges faced by the cabin crew may not measure up. However, it molds them in their specific job description and makes them adapt to the experience with building their competitive nature in the job field.

Areas for Improvement Through Training

Communication Techniques

The cabin crew forms the primary contact point among the passengers and Airline, and therefore their performance and interaction with passengers highly determine the flight’s reputation and brand. As passengers expect more from their airlines, the management should put more effort into training its employees to improve on services and meet their clients’ and employees’ demands. Especially when working on international flights and attending to passengers who practice a diverse culture from that in the UAE, the hostess should be trained on the way they can interact with their clientele during the flight. A verbal and non-verbal training is essential in this case due to incidences of language and cultural barriers.

There are two components in the verbal communication that determines the mode of interaction between the hostess and passengers, which includes the tone of voice and choice of words. Despite not being conversant with all the languages of the destination that the Emirates Groups travel to, the hostess must be trained on ways they can communicate with their passengers effectively. People tend to interpret a lot from the tone of voice and the choice of words while being attended. It is advisable that during confrontations, the hostess should be able to use the right tone of voice, especially during disagreements, to leave the right impression with the passengers. On the other hand, verbal cues play a significant role, especially among passengers that experience a language barrier. During training, the hostess is encouraged to avoid using too many hand gestures as it can lead to nervousness among the passengers. Therefore, to show interest, they can occasionally nod, smile back, and maintain eye contact with the passengers (Mantur p.221). However, studies show that, during training, the management may have one hostess who is familiar with the local languages of the destinations. The hostess would play a significant role in interpreting ideas or issues affecting the passengers in extreme situations, especially during emergencies.

Changing of Roles

Occasionally, the air hostess has traditionally been described as the safety guardians and “waitress” during in-flights, thus making the trip bearable. However, with the evolution of technology, the work descriptions of the hostess may vary as passengers can make orders via the computer systems and get served. Therefore, through technology training, there is minimal interaction, which creates little room for disagreements and confrontations. Further, the hostess can use technology for data capture as well as making in-flight sales, which boosts the revenues to the flight (Neto p.15). Technology training would help to improve on customer experience, thus reinforcing the reputation of the Airline among its customers. Giving the team the right technology tools helps to create a win-win approach as the hostess will also feel valued.

Passengers details

Further, getting to know passengers’ details, seating plans, and passenger information, especially among those with health complications, is quite vital. In most cases, the air hostess may not be able to master all details of their passengers during check-ins and long flights. As a result, passengers may feel the air hostess are not attentive to their condition, or they are less concerned about them. Therefore, the management may engage their employees in training where they can use digital mini-iPad whereby all their passenger’s information is logged-in. Technology training is quite fundamental as it helps to improve efficiency during the flights. A cabin Mini pad device would help to improve on communication with the personnel that is on board. Further, in case of emergency, they can easily send alerts to their passengers and the technical team, thus ensuring the safety of the passengers at all times.

Conclusion

The Emirates Group is a large company that operates airlines across the globe and has gained much prominence due to its excellent services. However, with the development of technology, the airlines are quickly adopting technology changes that are highly boosting business and building the reputation of the company. The air hostess and cabin crew form the focal point of interaction between the passengers and the airlines. The company must focus on training and development of the services offered by the air hostess for them to perform better during their work.

Works Cited

Mantur, Natalya. The Emirates: Airline Company or a global lifestyle brand?. Diss. 2016.

Neto, Jose Felix de Brito. “E-learning in Multi-cultural Environments: An Analysis of Online Cabin Crew Training.” (2012).

O’Connell, John F. “The rise of the Arabian Gulf carriers: An insight into the business model of Emirates Airlines.” Journal of Air Transport Management 17.6 (2011): 339-346.

Tontanavetchakul, Yossinee. Barriers to Effective Communication of Thai Cabin Crew Working in International Airlines where English is not the primary language. Language Institute, Thammasat University, 2011.