u/AccomplishedRow2163

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to realistically compare the cadet programs at Air Arabia and flydubai, and I’d really appreciate input from people in the industry.

From what I’ve gathered so far:

- flydubai seems to pay around ~23k AED/month during the second officer phase once you’re line flying, and then ~35k–45k AED/month after upgrading to First Officer (after ~1500 hours).

- Air Arabia seems to pay much lower during the hour-building phase (~10k–12k AED), and even First Officer salaries initially don’t seem that high compared to flydubai.

A few things I’m struggling to understand:

1. Time to 1500 hours:

   Is ~18–24 months realistic in both airlines, or does Air Arabia typically take longer?

2. Job guarantee after training:

   For flydubai, it seems relatively structured (SO → FO after 1500 hrs), but for Air Arabia, is there actually a guaranteed First Officer position after completing hours, or is it dependent on vacancies?

3. Cadet intake vs jobs available:

   I asked Air Arabia directly and was told they train around ~150 cadets per year.

   My concern is:

   → Do they actually have enough First Officer vacancies to absorb that many cadets annually?

   → Or is there a risk of finishing training + 1500 hours and then waiting (or not being absorbed at all)?

   4. Total cost (this is a big concern):

I was told the training cost is around ~735,000 AED, but realistically it seems like it could reach ~850k–900k AED once living expenses are included (since part of the training is abroad) even though I live in uae .

I also have a few concerns here:

◦	Are there additional costs if a cadet fails simulator checks or needs extra training?

◦	How common is it for cadets to need repeats?

◦	Do people end up exceeding the initial quoted cost significantly?

**5.	Salary vs opportunity cost:**

If Air Arabia pays ~10k/month early on, that’s similar to some entry-level corporate roles in the UAE.

So is the trade-off mainly “low pay now for A320 hours,” or does it actually pay off within the airline long-term?

I’m trying to evaluate this as a long-term career decision (especially considering the high cost of training), so any honest insights — especially from current or former cadets/pilots — would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to get some honest insights from people in the industry.

From what I’ve observed, even candidates who have completed CFA Level 2 are struggling to land decent roles in the UAE/GCC region. Entry-level opportunities seem extremely limited, and competition is intense with a large number of applicants (many with similar qualifications).

This raises a few questions:

- Does completing CFA Level 3 (or becoming a charterholder) significantly improve job prospects in this market?

- Or is experience still the main differentiator, regardless of CFA progress?

- For those working in investment roles, how much did CFA actually help vs prior experience or networking?

- I’ve also noticed many people in good roles seem to have prior experience (often from India or other markets). Is this a major factor?

Trying to understand whether pushing to Level 3 meaningfully changes employability, or if expectations around CFA need to be more realistic.

Would appreciate honest experiences from people in the region.

Thanks!