DALLAS – Emirates (EK) has announced that it will retrofit additional 43 A380s and 28 Boeing 777s, expanding its retrofit program to 191 aircraft. Initially, the retrofit program called for 120 aircraft - 67 A380s and 53 777s to undergo full refurbishment.

The expansion comes on the heels of the successful refurbishment of 22 A380s already completed by the carrier. In July 2024, the first Boeing 777 will enter the program for a two-week interior refresh. 

“We’re topping up our multi-billion dollar investment in the retrofit programme to introduce cutting-edge cabin products on more of our A380s and Boeing 777s, demonstrating a clear commitment to elevating the customer experience with a best-in-class suite of products across every cabin,” said Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.

Enhanced Cabin Experience

The refurbishment program promises a complete overhaul of both the A380 and Boeing 777 cabins. Passengers can expect cutting-edge features like the popular Premium Economy class, offering travelers a comfortable middle ground between Economy and Business Class on select routes.

The reconfigured Boeing 777 will feature 332 seats across four classes. This includes eight First Class suites, 40 Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, and a dedicated Premium Economy section with 24 seats. To accommodate the Premium Economy cabin, EK will be removing 50 Economy Class seats.

The in-house Emirates Engineering Centre manages the entire retrofit project. Over 250 personnel are dedicated to the program, collaborating with 31 partners and suppliers to deliver the refreshed cabins.  

By the project's completion, EK will have installed 8,104 Premium Economy seats, significantly expanding this sought-after cabin option. Additionally, the airline will have refurbished 1,894 First Class suites, upgraded 11,182 Business Class seats, and modernized 21,814 Economy Class seats across its fleet.

Which Routes Feature Emirates Premium Economy?

Presently, the Dubai-based carrier offers Premium Economy on select A380 routes to major destinations like New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Houston (IAH), in North America.

Moreover, these retrofitted A380s also operate daily flights to London (LHR), Sydney (SYD), Auckland (AKL), Christchurch (CHC), Melbourne (MEL), Singapore (SIN), Mumbai (BOM), Bangalore (BLR), Sao Paulo (GRU), and of course, Dubai (DXB). The airline plans to expand the Premium Economy service to include Osaka (KIX) in June 2024.

With the addition of the newly refurbished Boeing 777s and the upcoming arrival of the Airbus A350 in September 2024, EK expects to serve 42 destinations with Premium Economy offerings by February 2025. This expansion signifies a continued commitment by EK to provide passengers with a superior travel experience on a wider variety of routes.