Touring the Emirates Aviation College with NaWie Sisses

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Emirates Airlines. It’s the largest airline in the Middle East and has received several accolades for their amazing products and services. And who can forget Jennifer Aniston’s commercials of the Emirates A380? ☺ If I had it my way, I would only travel on Emirates flights. Their in-flight entertainment is packed, the seats are comfortable, the crew are courteous and professional, and the food is delicious!

So when a NaWie sis invited us to visit and tour the Emirates Aviation College last week as a welcome for another NaWie who would be visiting Dubai, I excitedly sent my confirmation. After all, considering my height and age, I would never be hired as a crew, so at least this would give me the opportunity to live their life, at least for a day ☺ Plus I would get to see the other Dubai NaWies again, and that’s always fun.

I was running a bit late on Saturday morning, so I met up with Jennesey, Gracie, Sha, Vanessa, and Cecil at the cafeteria on the 7th floor of Building C. We chatted a bit as the others finished up their food, and then sis Jen walked us through the corridors and started the tour.

The first room we entered was the Majlis, which is actually set-up like an Arabian majlis. In that room, newly-hired crew are being oriented about the Emirati culture, the dos and don’ts of living in Dubai, etc.

The next room was a normal training room where employees are taught about the history of Emirates Airlines and Dnata, and the company’s code of ethics. This is also where they learn the standards of wearing the uniform, choosing and applying make-up, the hairstyle, nail care, etc., which explains the mirrors around and the uniformed mannequins.

Wearing THE Red Hat

We also had the chance to go inside the room where all the Duty Free items that are currently being sold inflight are displayed.

After that, we entered the room where we saw the different seats of the three different classes…from Economy to Business to First Class.  It was fun pretending to be passengers of Business and First Class; at least we had an idea what they looked like.

The last room was the place where crew are shown how to store, prepare and serve inflight food, and then dispose of the waste. One tip for those who eat on planes, don’t stack the containers on top of each other when you’re done; these should be returned in the same way they were served to you (scattered and flat) to make it easier for the crew to put them away.

Finally we went to the simulator training area where crew apply what they learned and have their practical assessments. Jen explained that except for flying off the ground, these planes could do everything the actual EK planes did.  They were set up to replicate how the real planes looked and felt, and even smelled like one when we entered! The A380 was where we saw the amazing spa and shower and had the chance to sit in the Captain’s seat.

Before we left the building, we were taught how and when to arm/disarm and open/close the cabin doors. Each of us took turns (with the doors) while saying “Open seatbelts! Leave everything! This way!” which is what crew have to say during emergencies and everyone needs to get off the plane.

While the exit doors are still opening, crew need to stop anyone from suddenly
jumping out because the slides are still inflating

We may not have experienced the actual training a crew goes through, but just by listening to Jen and looking at the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities at the Emirates Aviation College, I could just imagine how much Emirates have invested in to ensure their employees receive the best schooling and are well-prepared for any emergency situation.

Now you know what you pay for when you purchase a ticket on Emirates Airlines.

Before ending our day out, we headed to Nomad Restaurant at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel (minus Cecil, though, because she had somewhere to go).  What was supposed to have been just a quick snack ended up a meal that lasted a couple of hours because, well, we're NaWies. We talk and give advice and share experiences and joke and laugh and talk some more about anything and everything under the sun☺

Thank you, sis Jennesey, for such a memorable and informative day! And thanks as well to the rest of my NaWie sisses Cecil, Gracie, Sha and Vanessa.  I had such an awesome time! Parang nag-field trip lang ☺

Thanks to Gracie, Vanessa and Sha for allowing me to share some of their photos in this blog post.