DUBAI: At the Dubai Airshow 2021, Emirates announced that they will be retrofiting 105 of their modern wide-body aircraft with their Premium Economy product; as well as considering a new 1-2-1 configured Business Class on their B777 fleet.
The 18-month retrofit programme, scheduled to begin at the end of 2022, will be entirely conducted at Emirates’ state-of-the-art Engineering Centre in Dubai. It will see 52 Emirates A380s and 53 Boeing 777s fitted with a new cabin class – the airline’s highly lauded Premium Economy.
The airline is also considering installing a brand new Business Class product on their Boeing 777 aircraft, with customised seats in a 1-2-1 layout. No further details were given at the point of writing.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said: “Emirates is investing in this retrofit programme to ensure that we continue to serve our customers’ needs and provide the best experiences in the sky. 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. We are also considering a brand new Business Class product. More details will be revealed in due course.”
At the end of the retrofit programme, Emirates will have a total of 111 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft offering Premium Economy seats.
On the Emirates Boeing 777, 5 rows of Economy class seats, located just behind Business Class, will be removed to allow for the installation of 24 Premium Economy seats laid out in 2-4-2 configuration.
On the Emirates A380, 56 Premium Economy seats will be installed at the front of the main deck and will also be in 2-4-2 configuration.
