The first of Emirates’ retrofitted Airbus A380s arrived in London Heathrow from Dubai last weekend, in what is the start of the largest aircraft refurbishment project in aviation history.
The Dubai-based airline has invested US$2 billion to completely refurbish 67 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s at the airline’s in-house engineering facilities in Dubai, with an expected completion in 2025.
Over 5,000 Business Class Seats and nearly 730 First Class Suites will be upgraded across the fleet during the project.
The first of the A380s to enter service — designated EK003 — elevates the inflight experience across all four cabins with Emirates’ latest products and interiors, including a new Premium Economy class cabin on the main deck featuring wider seats and increased legroom.
First Class and Business Class cabins on the upper deck feature Emirates’ sleek new cream-coloured leather upholstery and lighter-toned wood finishings. The First Class Shower Spa features the airline’s signature native ghaf tree motif in intricate hand-stencilled panels. The theme continues throughout all cabin interiors, along with a new colour pallet for carpets and wall panels.
The vast scale of the operation will see two aircraft being worked on simultaneously at the airline’s state-of-the-art engineering facilities, with one aircraft withdrawn from service every eight days to join the refurbishment project. The airline aims to completely retrofit four aircraft each month, with the Airbus A380 retrofits planned for completion by 2024 before the Boeing 777s are completed by April 2025.
The next Emirates A380 to undergo the make-over will enter service by the end of January 2023.
Emirates flies to over 150 destinations using the World’s largest fleet of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
Read the First-Class.com review of Emirates Business Class
Read the First-Class.com review of Emirates First Class
