flydubai names four things its online tests measure. Of the other Gulf carriers in this series, only Etihad says what it assesses, and only as aptitude and English language.

Its published selection process runs to four stages before you reach an assessment day, and the second of them is described in enough detail to prepare for: "a series of online psychometric tests in relation to work behaviour, logical thinking, multitasking and verbal reasoning."

It also publishes what the job pays and the size of its training bond, and on 22 September 2026 it had no cabin crew vacancy open. Its careers site listed 13 vacancies, and none was a cabin crew role. The site's category filter offered only Behind the Scenes, with 9, and Engineering & Maintenance, with 4. The Apply now button on flydubai's cabin crew page opens the job search filtered to Cabin Crew, and that search returned no results.

Read the bar now. When a vacancy opens, the detail is already published.

The four stages

flydubai sets out its application process in four steps.

Online Application. "If you meet the minimum requirements you can submit an online application by creating your candidate profile on our career site, filling up all the required information in your profile creation, uploading your resume and other relevant documents and answering a series of questions as part of role requirement."

Online Assessment Test. "We will send you a link to complete a series of online psychometric tests in relation to work behaviour, logical thinking, multitasking and verbal reasoning. There are opportunities to complete practice questions before completing the real thing."

Video Interview. "We will then invite you to an on demand video interview wherein you record your responses to a list of set questions. This helps us to get to know you a bit better."

Application Review. "At this stage we will review your assessment tests results and your overall application to ensure it meets minimum role requirements. If you successfully meet our criteria you will be invited for our assessment days."

flydubai names the four domains its psychometric tests cover, where Emirates confirms only an unspecified "online test at the venue" and Etihad names "aptitude and English language assessments" without elaboration. It also says practice questions are available before the real test, which none of the others mention.

What flydubai does not publish is what happens at the cabin crew assessment day itself. Its cabin crew process is documented up to the invitation and stops there, while Emirates and Etihad both describe their day.

The money, and the bond

flydubai publishes its pay in two lines:

  • "Basic salary + Housing allowance + Transportation allowance: AED 8,275"
  • "Plus Variable Flying pay: Avg. Monthly AED 4,500 (Based on average of 90 flying hours)"

flydubai labels the flying pay as a monthly average and leaves the AED 8,275 without a period attached. Read alongside the flying pay line, monthly is the evident reading, but the airline does not say so.

Under the heading Training Bond, flydubai lists:

  • "USD 2,650/approx. AED 9,700 for the first year"

The page does not say when or how the bond applies.

No bond of any kind appears on the Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad cabin crew pages, or in those airlines' own cabin crew job postings. flydubai is the only one of the four to publish one.

The pay figures do not compare directly. flydubai's AED 8,275 includes housing and transport allowances. Emirates publishes a basic salary of AED 4,980 and an approximate monthly average of AED 11,244, and provides accommodation and transport in kind: "Furnished accommodation is provided free of charge, including utilities", and "Transportation is provided by the company to/from work and to/from Training College". Anyone weighing the two has to put a price on the accommodation.

Etihad's careers page gives no pay figure, but the cabin crew job posting it links to does: "Earn up to AED 10,000 per month, including additional pay for flight hours and layovers, depending on your roster." That is a ceiling, where Emirates gives an average, and the same posting lists "fully furnished shared accommodation" among its benefits. Qatar Airways publishes no cabin crew pay figure at any grade.

flydubai's other listed rewards are medical insurance, an end of service benefit, paid leave of 30 days per year, and an annual leave ticket.

The requirements

flydubai's published minimum height is 158 cm, "in accordance with our safety regulations". That is the lowest of the four. Etihad asks for 163 cm and Emirates for 160 cm. Qatar Airways publishes no standing height.

On reach, flydubai and Etihad both publish a minimum height and no reach figure. Emirates publishes both, asking for "At least 160cm tall and able to reach 212cm high". Qatar Airways publishes only the reach, a "Minimum arm reach of 212 cm". So two of the four set a height without naming a reach, and only Emirates publishes both.

On experience flydubai asks for "1 year of experience in a customer service role, ideally in aviation, hospitality, or retail", and notes that "International aviation experience is an advantage". A "High school diploma is essential".

The list also includes: at least 21 years old, "Possession of a valid passport", "Willing to relocate to Dubai, (UAE)", "In good health, with the ability to pass an aero medical examination", "Fluent in written and spoken English; proficiency in additional languages is an advantage", and "Willing to work irregular hours, including weekends, holidays, and overnight shifts". Three more lines ask for enthusiasm for service, respect and adaptability in a multi-cultural team, and a safety-conscious attitude with the ability to respond to emergencies calmly.

On appearance it asks for a "Well-groomed and professional appearance, in line with flydubai's grooming standards" and "No visible tattoos while in uniform". The grooming standards themselves are referred to but not published. Of the four, Etihad is the only one that publishes grooming expectations in full, in its style and image reference guides. Emirates publishes a recruitment event dress code, as images with no text. Qatar Airways' recruitment page carries nothing on appearance.

A water requirement the other three do not publish

One line on flydubai's list has no counterpart at the other three: "Confident in the water when wearing a flotation aid/life jacket".

Nothing on the Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad cabin crew pages mentions swimming or water confidence in any form, and nor do their cabin crew job postings. flydubai's own page does not use the word swim either: the requirement is confidence in the water with a flotation aid.

One Gulf carrier outside this comparison asks for more. Riyadh Air's cabin crew recruitment postings say: "You must be a confident swimmer and able to use flotation devices."

flydubai states it as a minimum requirement and says nothing about how or when it is assessed.

The recruitment fraud warning

flydubai's careers home page carries a warning on recruitment fraud.

It states that fraudulent offers circulating by email, letter, SMS and WhatsApp "often look legitimate and may include job descriptions, salary, and benefit details", then direct recipients to provide bank account details.

Three statements in the warning help tell a genuine approach from a fake one:

  • "flydubai does not send emails, letters or other messages requesting your bank account details in order to process documents."
  • "flydubai will also never refer you to a third party to process applications or visas."
  • "Official communications from flydubai will only come from an email address ending in @flydubai.com and job opportunities with flydubai are advertised on flydubai's websites."

Suspected fraud goes to recruitment@flydubai.com with the subject line "Recruitment Fraud".

What flydubai does not publish for cabin crew

  • What happens at the assessment day, though it confirms assessment days exist
  • A document list for the day
  • A dress code, or the grooming standards its requirements refer to
  • A recruitment event calendar
  • Pass rates or progression figures
  • A timeline between applying and hearing back
  • An arm reach figure
  • How the water requirement is assessed
  • When or how the training bond applies
  • Training length or structure

A note on sourcing

The four selection stages, the requirements, the pay, the bond and the benefits come from the flydubai cabin crew careers page, read on 22 September 2026. The vacancy count and categories come from the flydubai job search on the same date, including the search filtered to Cabin Crew that the cabin crew page's Apply now button opens. The recruitment fraud warning and the Talent Community come from the flydubai careers home page, also read on 22 September 2026.

The Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad comparisons come from those airlines' own cabin crew pages: Emirates and Qatar Airways read on 21 September 2026, Etihad on 22 September 2026, together with each airline's own cabin crew job posting, read on 22 and 23 September 2026, and the two style and image reference guides Etihad links from its cabin crew guidelines page. Where this piece says a carrier publishes nothing on a subject, that is scoped to those pages. The Riyadh Air line comes from its own cabin crew recruitment posting, read on 23 September 2026.

Vacancies and requirements may change after 22 September 2026. Check flydubai's cabin crew careers page before applying.

Where flydubai does not publish something, this piece says so. Nothing here comes from candidate accounts, coaching sites or recruitment agencies.