Emirates announced plans to completely refurbish another 43 A380s and 28 Boeing 777 aircraft, expanding their retrofit programme to a total of 191 aircraft. This decision comes after the original plan to refurbish 120 aircraft, including 67 A380s and 53 777s. The Boeing 777 remains a crucial part of the Emirates fleet, while the A380 remains a customer favourite. The expansion of the refurbishment programme aims to enhance the travel experience for customers.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, stated that the airline is increasing its investment in the retrofit programme to introduce cutting-edge cabin products on more A380s and Boeing 777s. This commitment is aimed at providing customers with a best-in-class suite of products across all cabins. The addition of newer generation seats, updated cabin finishings, and a contemporary colour palette will elevate the premium experience for customers across both aircraft types.
Emirates has already retrofitted 22 A380 aircraft and will begin the interior refresh of the first Boeing 777 in July. Each Boeing 777 aircraft will take approximately two weeks to refurbish before returning to service. The new refurbishment plans include the introduction of a Premium Economy cabin, new Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, and 24 Premium Economy seats, offering customers more premium options. The Emirates Boeing 777 will be configured with 332 seats in four classes.
All refurbishment work for the Emirates fleet is being managed and executed in-house at the airline’s Engineering Centre, with over 250 project personnel and 31 major partners and suppliers working on delivering the refreshed cabins. Once all aircraft have undergone the retrofit programme, Emirates will have installed a total of 8,104 Premium Economy seats, 1,894 First Class suites, 11,182 Business Class seats, and 21,814 Economy Class seats.
Emirates currently operates its refurbished A380s with Premium Economy seats to various destinations, including New York JFK, Los Angeles, and London Heathrow. The airline plans to expand services with the new cabin to Osaka in June and aims to serve 42 cities with Premium Economy by February 2025. Additionally, the A350 will enter Emirates’ fleet in September, alongside the refurbished Boeing 777s that will serve more cities with the highly sought-after cabin later this summer. This expansion highlights Emirates’ dedication to enhancing the customer experience and providing a premium travel experience for all passengers.
