As of today, Emirates has officially kicked off what might be the most ambitious aircraft glow-up in recent memory: retrofitting its A380s with those long-hyped Premium Economy seats. Yes, the fancy new cabin that first appeared on a few factory-fresh jets is now finally being rolled out across the rest of the A380 fleet – and we’re here for it.
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67 A380s. Two Years. Zero Chill.
The airline plans to refurbish 67 A380s over the next two years. It’s part of a £1.8 billion cabin upgrade programme – because if you’re going to do a makeover, you might as well go full glam.
The first aircraft to be pulled in for its transformation is A6-EVM, which flew in from Cairo on October 31, 2022, as EK928. After offloading passengers, the jet was towed straight into the hangar for a 16-day spa retreat. The next in line? A6-EUW is booked for its turn starting December 1.
From then on, Emirates plans to cycle two aircraft every eight days through the Dubai Engineering Centre, like some kind of high-end aircraft conveyor belt. If all goes to plan, the entire A380 fleet refresh will wrap up by May 23 2024 – just in time to move on to the Boeing 777 retrofits.
So, What’s Actually Changing?
Let’s start with the main event: Premium Economy. Emirates is removing around 88 Economy seats to make space for 56 Premium Economy seats, which sit in a 2-4-2 layout and come with more legroom, posh upholstery, and actual leg support that isn’t just hope and a winged prayer.
But it’s not just about seat swapping. The A380’s iconic First Class showers are getting a refresh, too – complete with new colour tones and a hand-stencilled Ghaf tree motif because nothing says luxury like a nod to the UAE’s national tree while you rinse off at 40,000 feet.
Meanwhile, Business Class seats are getting a colour refresh (think muted tones, not a wild rebrand), and First Class cabins will get light touch-ups to keep them looking fresh without fixing what isn’t broken.
Why Should You Care?
Because Emirates is one of the few airlines actually investing in Premium Economy like it means it. These seats aren’t an afterthought wedged between Business and Economy – they’re part of a proper strategy to give passengers more choice without mortgaging their organs for an upgrade.
Plus, it signals Emirates is serious about extending the life of its A380 fleet, which, in a world of fuel-efficient twins, is a flex in itself.
Final Thoughts
This retrofit programme is the kind of bold, high-spec upgrade we love to see – and if Emirates sticks the landing, it’ll set a new standard for what cabin refreshes should look like.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be over here refreshing ExpertFlyer until I see an A6-EVM seat map with Premium Economy available. Emirates, take my money.
