Why Emirates wants to hire more Chinese-speaking employees post Hangzhou launch

Hangzhou: Emirates is actively recruiting more Chinese-speaking employees to better serve its growing Chinese customer base. The airline is refining its entire China-bound experience — from inflight menus to cultural details — in response to rising demand from both leisure and business travellers, a top executive has revealed.

“With more flights to China, we are actively hiring more Mandarin-speaking crew,” said Adam Li, Vice President – China at Emirates.

Speaking after the launch of Emirates’ maiden daily flight from Dubai to Hangzhou on Wednesday, he said: “Currently, we have about 260 cabin crew from mainland China, along with others from Singapore and Malaysia who also speak Mandarin.”

Following its latest launch to Hangzhou, Emirates now operates five routes to China, reflecting the country’s growing role in its network. The demand is showing in the numbers: in 2024, over 830,000 Chinese travellers visited Dubai, a 30% increase from 2023, said Li.

To cater to the growing number of Chinese passengers, the airline is hiring employees who know the language — including regional dialects.

“According to what I know, our HR department, specifically the cabin crew recruitment team, has already carried out several recruitment campaigns in China this year. They’re working to hire more Chinese-speaking cabin crew, and they’re also expanding into different regions so we can recruit crew who not only speak Mandarin but also other Chinese dialects, like Cantonese. This helps us provide better service for our customers.”

“I met a girl from Russia who speaks very good Chinese. Interestingly, she learned it on her own in Dubai,” he said, highlighting how language skills increase employability.

More than just expanding routes, Emirates is localising its cabin experience to meet Chinese passengers’ expectations.

To make Chinese travellers feel welcomed, the airline is designing a culturally attuned travel experience.

Food remains a top priority. “Chinese passengers can be very particular about food. Many choose Chinese carriers because they want a taste of home,” Li explained.

“That is why we make sure to serve familiar options like noodles and rice, tailored to Chinese tastes.”

Entertainment is also evolving. “We frequently update our in-flight entertainment system, adding more Chinese movies and TV shows. We've also included more subtitles in Chinese for Hollywood and Bollywood films, to make them more accessible for our Chinese travellers.”

Emirates’ new flights from Hangzhou and Shenzhen reflect the airline’s confidence in the rising demand from these Chinese economic hubs. According to Li, traffic is mixed between business travellers and tourists.

“About 50% of Shenzhen’s passengers are business travellers from large tech firms like Huawei and ZTE,” he noted.

“Hangzhou has around 30% business passengers and 20% labour export traffic to GCC and Africa. There’s also considerable family visit travel, especially transit passengers connecting through Dubai to Europe.”

Emirates became the first airline to connect the Middle East and mainland China in 2002 with cargo flights between Dubai and Shanghai, laying the foundation for a 20-year partnership now supported by passenger routes to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou.

Flights are timed to ensure smooth onward connections to over 40 cities in Europe, 21 in Africa, 13 across the Middle East, and key destinations in South America, including Brazil and Argentina.

The daily Dubai–Hangzhou flight now operates using a Boeing 777-300ER with eight First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats, and 304 Economy seats. It offers a weekly capacity of 2,478 seats between Dubai and Hangzhou. Flight EK310 departs Dubai at 09:40 and arrives in Hangzhou at 22:00, while EK311 departs Hangzhou at 00:10 and lands in Dubai at 04:55.

In Hangzhou, Emirates is the only international carrier offering a Chauffeur-drive service for premium travellers. At Dubai International (DXB), the airline provides a seamless on-ground experience with dedicated First and Business Class check-in, Chauffeur-drive, and access to world-class lounges featuring fine dining, showers, and quiet zones.

On board, Emirates offers regionally inspired cuisine, its award-winning ‘ice’ entertainment system with over 6,500 channels, and Business Class comfort that includes angle-flat seats, amenity kits, personal mini-bars, and loungewear.