Emirates passengers to 'fly even better' in coming years — this is the rationale behind the airline's multibillion-dollar investment in refurbishing its flagship Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
The goal is to upgrade four Emirates aircraft each month from start to finish. Thus, to complete work on the entire fleet of 120 liners, continuous work will be required for more than 2 years.
Once the 67 planned A380s have been refurbished and returned to service, 53 777s will be restyled. The giant renovation will be completed in April 2025. During this time, approximately 4,000 brand new premium economy seats will be installed, 728 first class suites will be refurbished, and more than 5,000 business class seats will be updated to reflect the new style and design.
In addition, carpets and stairs will be replaced, interior panels will appear using new tones and design motifs, including the iconic haf trees that grow in the UAE.
Estimates for updating the cabins of the A380 began in July, when experienced engineers literally dismantled each cabin piece by piece and recorded every step. Starting with the removal of seats and panels and ending with bolts and screws — every action was checked, timed and planned. All difficulties and potential barriers to installing the new Emirates Premium Economy Class and upgrading other cabins have been documented in just 16 days for review and resolution by expert teams.
As part of this program, Emirates Engineering will establish new dedicated workshops for repainting, finishing and upholstery of business and economy class seats with new covers and shock absorption. The first class suites will be carefully dismantled and sent to a specialized company for replacement of leather, armrests and other materials.
The modernization program will begin in November, while staff and equipment are being recruited and trained.