Emirates has successfully reconfigured its first two-class A380 aircraft. A6-EUX has taken to the skies operating as EK 39/40 between Dubai and Birmingham, featuring new interiors across three cabins: 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy, and 437 Economy seats.
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This is the first of 15 two-class A380s that Emirates will renovate. Managed entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai, the retrofit programme 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.
Fleet first for Premium Economy
As part of the retrofit, Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy cabin will be featured, for the first time, in the upper deck of the A380. Featuring spacious leather seats with generous recline in a 2-3-2 configuration, customers can enjoy features including full leg and footrests, 6-way adjustable headrests, built-in charging ports, side cocktail tables as well as elevated dining experiences and an unmatched entertainment system via a 13.3 inch personal screen.
Refreshed interiors across all cabins
The retrofitted three class A380 features upgraded interiors across all cabins including the latest generation seats and updated cabin finishings. From nose to tail, from fresh carpets to ceiling panels, Emirates’ new signature elements are evident throughout the cabin including modern colour palettes, specially designed Ghaf tree motifs as well as premium wood finishes.
Behind the scenes
During the retrofit, the entire cabin interior of A6-EUX was taken apart, refreshed and put back together with precision. The Emirates Engineering team had to carry out extensive modifications to the upper deck of the A380 aircraft by removing 120 Economy Class seats to accommodate 56 Premium Economy and an additional 18 Business Class seats.
To support this change in configuration, the team had to undertake structural work to remove, upgrade and reposition galley modules, stowage areas, overhead bins, partitions and other cabin features along with associated changes to the electrical and plumbing systems in the aircraft. It took a team of around 50 engineers and technicians investing an approximate 35,000 man-hours and utilising more than 2,500 different types of parts.
Emirates Engineering completed the retrofit of the first two-class A380 over a period of two months, including comprehensive planning and testing. With learnings from the first project integrated into future processes, retrofits of other two-class A380 aircraft are expected to take around half the time at 30 days. By the end of 2026, all 15 two-class A380 aircraft in the Emirates fleet will be retrofitted.
Evolution of the retrofit programme
The ambitious Emirates retrofit programme was first announced in 2021. 120 aircraft were initially slated to be refurbished under the first phase of the programme. However, by May 2024, based on the success of the programme and the positive feedback received from customers, the programme scope was expanded to 191 aircraft and then further scaled up to 219 aircraft later in the year. A dedicated team of around 270 staff ensure that on an average two refreshed aircraft emerge every month from the Emirates Engineering hangars in Dubai.
