Summary
- Emirates will refurbish 71 Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, further enhancing the passenger experience.
- The refurbishment includes new cabin products, improved interiors, and new premium economy seats.
- With over 42,000 new seats across all cabins, Emirates’ retrofit program aims to increase customer satisfaction.
Emirates has committed to completely refurbishing an additional 71 aircraft, including 43 Airbus A380s and 28 Boeing 777s. The announcement comes just over a year after the airline’s first completely refurbished A380 entered service. This is part of the Dubai-based carrier’s $2 billion retrofit program unveiled in 2022.
Enhancing the onboard passenger experience
Initially, Emirates planned to retrofit up to 120 aircraft with the latest interiors and various improvements across all cabins. Up to 67 A380s and 53 B777s were to undergo complete refurbishment. The Triple Seven remains the backbone of the airline’s fleet, while the A380 superjumbo is the flagship customer favorite. Enhancing the retrofit program ensures that the airline will continue offering customers an elevated travel experience. Speaking about the investment, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark said,
“We’re topping up our multi-billion dollar investment in the retrofit program 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.”
“The addition of more aircraft fitted with our newest generation seats, updated cabin finishings, and a contemporary color palette also marks a significant step in ensuring more customers can consistently experience our premium products across both aircraft types.”
Photo: Emirates
So far, the airline has completely refurbished 22 A380s. The first retrofitted superjumbo, registration A6-EVM, entered service on the Dubai-London Heathrow route in January 2023. It features Emirates’ latest products and interiors across all cabins, including 56 premium economy seats on the main deck. First and business class seats on the upper deck feature the carrier’s latest cream-colored leather upholstery and lighter-toned wood finishing.
Refurbishing the Triple Seven fleet
The first 777 will undergo refurbishment in July 2024. Each aircraft is expected to take approximately two weeks to retrofit before entering service. The airline plans to upgrade the first class cabin and debut all new business class seats in the updated 1-2-1 configuration. It will also add 24 premium economy seats, giving customers enhanced premium options.
Photo: Emirates
Emirates’ Triple Seven will have 332 seats in four classes, including eight first class suites, 40 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 260 economy seats. The carrier will remove 50 seats in the economy cabin to make way for the new premium economy seats. Emirates debuted its premium cabin offering in 2022. It was initially deployed on high-traffic Airbus A380 routes.
Related
5 Things That Make Premium Economy Worth The Cost Of Upgrading
Premium economy is more than just extra leg room.
The cabin retrofit program is completely managed and executed in-house at Emirates’ Engineering Center. The airline has over 250 project personnel working non-stop to deliver the retrofitted cabins. They are supported by 31 major partners and suppliers who have set up workshops in the facility and offsite.
Delivering over 42,000 new seats
When Emirates rolls out the last aircraft and completes the retrofit program, it will have delivered 42,994 new seats across all cabins. This includes 21,814 economy class seats, 11,182 upgraded business class seats, 1,894 refreshed first class suites, and 8,104 next-generation seats in the new premium economy cabin.
Photo: Emirates
According to ch-aviation, Emirates has 252 passenger aircraft in its fleet, comprising 119 A380s (93 active; 26 inactive) and 133 B777s (127 active; 6 inactive). The refurbished A380s featuring new premium economy seats are currently deployed on various routes from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to New York JFK, London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, and São Paulo, to mention a few.
The airline expects to serve 42 cities with premium economy by February 2025, with the A350 set to debut this year, in addition to the refurbished 777s. Emirates’ first Airbus A350 will enter service in September 2024, with ten A350s expected by the end of March 2025. On May 7, 2024, Emirates announced the first nine destinations to be served by the new widebodies. Bahrain International Airport (BAH) will receive the inaugural Emirates A350 flight.
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