Emirates will retrofit 105 of its modern wide-body aircraft with its Premium Economy product, in addition to other cabin enhancements. The airline made the announcement during the Dubai Airshow 2021.
The 18-month retrofit program, scheduled to begin at the end of 2022, will be entirely conducted at Emirates’ Engineering Center in Dubai. It will see 52 Emirates Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s fitted with a new cabin class—the airline’s Premium Economy. The airline is also considering installing a brand new Business Class product on its Boeing 777 aircraft, with customized seats in a 1-2-1 layout.
“Emirates is investing in this retrofit program to ensure that we continue to serve our customers’ needs, and provide the best experiences in the sky,” said Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, in a press release. “Since we introduced our Premium Economy seats a year back, we’ve received a hugely positive response. Customers have been amazed by the quality and comfort. As Emirates has done with our signature First, Business and full-service Economy travel experiences, we intend to further develop our Premium Economy into a distinctive Emirates experience that is unmatched in the industry. We are also considering a brand new Business Class product. More details will be revealed in due course.”
At the end of the retrofit program, Emirates will have a total of 111 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft offering Premium Economy seats, including the six A380s that would have been delivered to the airline with four cabin classes by December 2021.
On the Emirates Boeing 777, five rows of Economy class seats located just behind Business Class will be removed to install 24 Premium Economy seats laid out in 2-4-2 configuration. On the Emirates A380, 56 Premium Economy seats will installed at the front of the main deck also in 2-4-2 configuration.
Emirates’ Premium Economy seat is covered in anti-stain leather with stitching details and a wood panel finishing. Each seat is supported with six-way adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests. Offering a generous pitch of up to 40 inches, the seats are 19.5 inches wide and recline eight inches into a cradle position with ample room to stretch out. Other touches include easily accessible in-seat charging points, a wide dining table and side cocktail table.
On their 13.3-inch personal seat-back screen, one of the largest in its class, customers can enjoy an array of music, movies, TV, news and other content.
By end of December 2021, Emirates’ A380s with Premium Economy will be operating on the airline’s flights to Frankfurt, London Heathrow, New York JFK and Paris.
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