Emirates has kick-started its plans to upgrade the interior cabins of its 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The project, representing a multi-billion dollar investment, officially commences in November and is managed entirely by Emirates’ engineering team.
The target is to completely retrofit four Emirates aircraft from start to finish every month, continuously for over two years. Once the 67 earmarked A380s are refreshed and back in service, 53 of the 777s will be upgraded. This will see close to 4,000 new premium economy seats installed, 728 first class suites refurbished and more than 5,000 business class seats upgraded to a new style and design when the project concludes in April 2025. Additionally, carpets and stairs will be upgraded; cabin interior panels will be refreshed with new tones and design motifs, including the ghaf trees, which are native to the United Arab Emirates.
As part of the program, purpose-built workshops will be set up at Emirates Engineering to repaint, re-trim and re-upholster business and economy class seats with new covers and cushioning. First class suites will be dismantled and sent to a specialized company to replace the leather, armrests and other materials.
Until the retrofit program starts in November, a cross-disciplinary team has been assembled to review the planning process, address any issues and track updates on various aspects of the project such as procurement, staffing and training.
Emirates’ premium economy cabin class, which offers luxurious seats and more legroom, is available to passengers traveling on A380 routes to London, Paris and Sydney. Starting year-end, more customers will be able to experience the airline’s premium economy cabins as the retrofit program picks up pace.
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