Emirates has announced plans to introduce Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft with upgraded cabins to eight additional cities across its network.
The airline will deploy refreshed A380s to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nice and Perth, while upgraded Boeing 777s will serve Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Frankfurt and Dublin.
These deployments will increase the number of cities served by Emirates’ refurbished aircraft and newly delivered A350s to over 70 destinations, providing customers with a consistent experience whether travelling to or through Dubai.
Emirates expands Premium Economy service with Boeing 777 and A380 upgrades
The retrofit programme at Emirates Engineering Centre continues at pace, with teams completing full aircraft makeovers at a rate of one wide-body aircraft every three weeks.
“The latest rollout of refurbished Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s and new A350s offer more opportunities for customers in over 70 dynamic cities and growing economies to enjoy our latest generation premium onboard experience combined with our award-winning service,” Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said.
The airline will also receive its first long-range A350 later this year, which will make its debut in Australia with flights to Adelaide from December 1.
“By the end of this year, Emirates will have established itself as one of the preeminent industry leaders offering Premium Economy seats. In the next two years, we will definitively cement our position as the industry leader in Premium Economy deployment. The scaling up of our Premium Economy offering strengthens our competitive proposition to travellers and makes it our strategic differentiator by offering them more choice as they increasingly seek premium travel experiences,” Kazim added.
Emirates set to become Premium Economy leader with expanded fleet upgrades
The airline has detailed the deployment schedule for its upgraded aircraft:
- Bangkok: Refreshed A380 from July 1 2025 (EK372/373)
- Hong Kong: First four-class A380 with latest interiors from October 1 (EK380/381)
- Nice: Premium Economy debut from October 15 (EK077/078)
- Perth: Latest-generation A380 from October 26 (EK420/421)
- Madrid: Enhanced Boeing 777 from October 15 (EK143/144)
- Kuala Lumpur: Retrofitted Boeing 777 from October 15 (EK346/347)
- Frankfurt: Latest generation cabins from December 15 (EK043/044)
- Phuket: Upgraded Boeing 777 from December 1 (EK396/397)
- Dublin: Second refitted Boeing 777 from December 1
Since beginning its refurbishment programme in November 2022, Emirates has upgraded 51 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft now operating to 38 destinations.
The airline plans to refurbish 219 aircraft in total, including 110 Airbus A380s and 109 Boeing 777s.
By the end of 2025, Emirates will offer over 2 million Premium Economy seats per year on aircraft flying to over 70 cities, with capacity expected to double to 4 million seats by the end of 2026.
The airline reports that close to 40 per cent of its fleet will offer the latest interiors by the end of this year.
Emirates noted that its Premium Economy cabins have maintained high seat loads averaging over 80 per cent on long-haul routes, demonstrating strong demand for the upgraded experience.
Emirates’ $5 billion retrofit programme employs over 270 engineers and technicians who work round the clock, devoting over 1,800 manhours daily to each aircraft.
The process takes 22 days for an A380 and 18 days for a Boeing 777, with two aircraft completing the programme each month.
Upon completion, Emirates will have installed 8,512 next-generation Premium Economy seats, 2,034 refreshed First-Class suites, 12,720 upgraded Business Class seats, and 68,364 overhauled Economy Class seats.
The refurbishment requires 218,000 metres of fabric for Economy Class seats, 130,000 square metres of leather for Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class, 132,000 square metres of carpets, and 14,000 square metres of laminate sheets for cabin walls.
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