Emirates completes first-ever retrofit of two-class A380 aircraft | News
Emirates has reached a decisive milestone in its ambitious multi-billion dollar retrofit program with the successful reconfiguration of its first dual-class A380 aircraft. The newly refurbished aircraft (A6-EUX) has taken to the skies as EK 39/40 between Dubai and Birmingham, featuring sparkling new interiors featuring Emirates’ latest products across three cabin classes: 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy seats and 437 Economy Class seats.
This is the first of fifteen dual-class A380 aircraft in the fleet that Emirates will refurbish as part of its commitment to providing customers with a consistently superior in-flight experience.
The retrofit program is managed entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai and has so far completed work on 95 Emirates aircraft, including 42 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, representing more than a third of Emirates’ current fleet.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said: “Emirates’ retrofit program revolves around the central premise that we provide our customers with a truly premium experience every time they choose to travel with us. To this end, our engineering team has worked continuously and rapidly in close collaboration with an ecosystem of partners and suppliers to meticulously innovate and integrate best-in-class products into every aircraft in the programme. Our retrofit program has raised the bar every step of the way, in terms of complexity, scale and detailed craftsmanship. The reconfiguration of our A two-class A380 in a three-class layout that brings our popular Premium Economy seats to the upper deck illustrates the extensive capabilities of our team.”
Fleet First for Premium Economy
As part of the retrofit, Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy cabin will be featured on the upper deck of the A380 for the first time. Featuring spacious leather seats with generous backrest in a 2-3-2 configuration, customers can enjoy features such as full leg and footrests, 6-way adjustable headrests, built-in charging ports, side cocktail tables, as well as elevated dining experiences and an unparalleled entertainment system via a 13.3-inch personal screen.
Renewed interior in all cabins
The retrofitted three-class A380 features upgraded interiors in all cabins, including the latest generation of seats and updated cabin finishes. From nose to tail, from fresh carpets to ceiling panels, Emirates’ new signature elements are evident throughout the cabin, including modern color palettes, specially designed Ghaf tree motifs and premium wood finishes.
The nuts and bolts of retrofitting the first dual-class A380
During the retrofit, the entire cabin interior of the A6-EUX was taken apart, refreshed and reassembled 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 seats and a further 18 Business Class seats. To support this change in configuration, the team was required to perform structural work to remove, upgrade and relocate galley modules, storage areas, baggage areas, partitions and other cabin amenities, along with associated changes to the aircraft’s electrical and plumbing systems.
It required a team of approximately 50 engineers and technicians, investing approximately 35,000 man-hours and using more than 2,500 different types of parts.
Emirates Engineering completed the retrofit of the first dual-class A380 in a two-month period, including extensive planning and testing. With lessons from the first project integrated into future processes, retrofits of other dual-class A380 aircraft are expected to take approximately half the time (30 days). By the end of 2026, all 15 dual-class A380 aircraft in the Emirates fleet will be retrofitted.
Evolution of the Emirates retrofit programme
First announced in 2021, the ambitious Emirates retrofit program was driven by a bold vision to ensure Emirates’ signature customer experience standards could be delivered consistently and seamlessly to customers around the world. Initially, 120 aircraft would be renovated in the first phase of the program. However, based on the success of the program and positive customer feedback, the program size was expanded to 191 aircraft in May 2024 and further scaled to 219 aircraft later in the year. A dedicated team of approximately 270 employees ensures that an average of two new aircraft emerge from the Emirates Engineering hangars in Dubai every month.
Consume responsibly
In line with the commitment to minimize carbon footprint, materials from the 219 Emirates A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft undergoing cabin refurbishment are being evaluated for reuse as part of Emirates’ upcycling programme. This has resulted in successful initiatives including the “Aircrafted” range of limited edition collectibles such as luggage items; and ‘Aircrafted for Kids’ backpacks made from recycled Economy Class seat fabric. To date, approximately 4,000 Aircrafted for Kids backpacks have been donated to children in 10 countries.
