Cabin Crew Open Days: How to Prepare Your CV and Application

Cabin crew open days are walk-in recruitment events where hundreds of candidates show up, hand in a CV, and compete for a handful of positions in a single day. Gulf carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad hold open days in cities across the world throughout the year. Some European and Asian carriers use the same format.

Your CV is your entry ticket. Recruiters spend seconds — not minutes — scanning each one during the initial screening. If your CV does not communicate the right information in the right format, you will not make it past the first table.

What Is a Cabin Crew Open Day?

An open day is a walk-in recruitment event. No prior application or invitation is needed. You arrive at a hotel or convention venue, register, submit your CV, and go through a series of screening stages on the same day.

This is different from an assessment day, which is an invitation-only event that follows after you have submitted an online application and passed an initial screening. Some airlines use both: you attend an open day, and if you pass the first round, you are invited back for an assessment day.

Emirates holds open days in over 60 cities per year across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Qatar Airways and Etihad run similar schedules. European carriers like easyJet and Wizz Air occasionally hold walk-in events for specific base openings.

What to Bring

Come prepared with everything. You will not have a second chance to submit documents:

• Printed CV — At least two copies, printed on quality paper. Use your branded CV version, not the ATS plain-text version. Visual presentation matters at open days
• Passport-sized photos — Two recent photos with a plain white or light background. Some airlines provide a form where you attach the photo on the spot
• Passport — Original. Recruiters will check your nationality and visa eligibility
• Original certificates — SEP, First Aid, CRM, Dangerous Goods, and any other safety certifications. Bring originals and copies
• Proof of education — University degree or highest qualification certificate

Dress as you would for a final interview. Business professional attire. Hair neat and pulled back if long. Minimal jewellery. Airlines are assessing your grooming and presentation from the moment you walk in.

CV Requirements for Open Days

Your open day CV needs to work at arm's length. A recruiter sitting behind a table will glance at it for ten to fifteen seconds before deciding whether you move to the next stage.

Key requirements:

• Professional photo — Mandatory for Gulf carrier open days. Clear, recent, and professionally taken. No selfies, no sunglasses, no casual clothing
• One to two pages — One page is ideal. Two pages maximum for experienced crew
• Key information visible at a glance — Languages, safety certifications, service experience, height and arm reach, nationality, and base flexibility should all be immediately findable
• Clean layout — Branded and professional, but not cluttered. Avoid dense blocks of text that require close reading
• Contact details — Email and phone number must be correct. Recruiters call back within days

If you have aviation service experience, lead with it. If you are applying with no prior cabin crew experience, lead with your safety certifications and language skills, followed by relevant hospitality or customer service experience.

The Screening Process

A typical open day follows this flow:

1. Registration — Sign in and submit your CV and photos
2. CV screening — Recruiters review CVs in bulk and select candidates to continue. This is where most eliminations happen
3. Group introduction — Selected candidates introduce themselves to a panel (30 seconds to one minute each)
4. English language test — Written and sometimes spoken assessment
5. Reach test — You must reach a minimum height on tiptoes (typically 212 cm for Emirates). This is measured on the spot
6. Group exercise — Teamwork and communication assessment with other candidates
7. One-on-one interview — Final stage, usually with a senior recruiter

Your CV carries you through stages one and two. Everything after that is your personal performance, but the CV is what gets you into the room.

Common Reasons for Rejection at the CV Stage

• No photo or poor quality photo — An immediate disqualification for Gulf open days
• Missing safety certifications — If you have them, list them. If you do not have any, highlight transferable training
• No language skills listed — Multilingual candidates have a measurable advantage. Even listing conversational-level languages helps
• Generic format — A standard office CV with no aviation or cabin crew sections signals that you have not researched the role
• Too long or too dense — Recruiters cannot spend time reading paragraphs at open day volume

After the Open Day

If you pass the final stage, you will typically receive an offer within one to four weeks. Some airlines issue conditional offers on the day.

If you are not successful, you can usually reapply at a future open day after a waiting period (typically three to six months for Emirates and Qatar Airways). Use the time between attempts to:

• Obtain or renew your SEP and safety certifications
• Add a new language or improve your English proficiency level
• Gain hospitality or customer service experience if you lack aviation background
• Update your CV to reflect any new qualifications

For more detail on structuring your cabin crew CV, read our complete cabin crew CV guide.

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