Emirates unveils first retrofitted two-class A380 with Premium Economy

Dubai: Emirates has achieved a major milestone in its multi-billion-dollar fleet retrofit programme with the successful launch of its first refurbished two-class Airbus A380 aircraft.

The newly upgraded aircraft recently entered service on the Dubai–Birmingham route, featuring Emirates’ latest cabin products across three classes:76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy seats, and 437 Economy Class seats.

The aircraft is the first among 15 two-class A380s that Emirates plans to modernise as part of its commitment to delivering a more consistent and enhanced onboard experience for customers.

The retrofit programme is being fully managed in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai. So far, Emirates has completed refurbishment work on 95 aircraft, including 42 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, representing more than one-third of the airline’s current fleet.

A key highlight of the upgraded aircraft is the introduction of Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy cabin on the upper deck of the A380 for the first time.

According to Emirates, the retrofit of the first two-class A380 was completed within two months, including detailed planning, engineering modifications and testing. Leveraging experience gained from the initial project, future retrofits are expected to take around 30 days each.

The airline aims to complete the refurbishment of all 15 two-class A380 aircraft by the end of 2026.

-N