Emirates reports that it has completed the reconfiguration of its first two-class A380 aircraft. The newly refurbished aircraft (A6-EUX) operates as EK 39/40 between Dubai and Birmingham, with new interiors in three cabin classes: 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy Seats, and 437 Economy Class seats.
By the end of 2026, all 15 two-class A380 aircraft in the Emirates fleet will be retrofitted.
The multi-billion-dollar retrofit program has so far completed work on 95 Emirates aircraft, including 42 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, representing more than one third of Emirates’ current fleet of aircraft.
Premium Economy 2-3-2 configuration in the upper deck of the Emirates A380 aircraft Source: Emirates
Premium Economy goes upstairs
As part of the retrofit, Premium Economy cabin will be located, for the first time, in the upper deck of the A380. The leather seats have a recline in a 2-3-2 configuration, as well as full leg and footrests, six-way adjustable headrests, built-in charging ports, side cocktail tables and an elevated dining experience. The entertainment system has a 13.3-inch personal screen.
To make the move upstairs, engineers removed 120 Economy Class seats to accommodate 56 Premium Economy and an additional 18 Business Class seats.
The Emirates retrofit program was first announced in 2021, with 120 aircraft initially slated to be refurbished under the first phase. However, Emirates says that by May 2024, based on the positive feedback received from customers, the program scope was expanded to 191 aircraft and then further scaled up to 219 aircraft later in the year.