Emirates announced the retrofitting of 105 of its modern wide-body aircraft with Premium Economy Class at the Dubai Airshow.

The 18-month retrofitting program is to be implemented in the ultra-modern Emirates Engineering Center in Dubai from the end of 2022. 52 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s will be given a new cabin class. In the Emirates A380, 56 Premium Economy seats will be installed in the front part of the main deck in a 2-4-2 configuration. In the Boeing 777 aircraft, five rows of economy class seats will be removed directly behind the business class. Instead, 24 Premium Economy seats will be installed in a 2-4-2 configuration. A new business class with seats in a 777-1-2 arrangement is also planned for the Boeing 1 aircraft.

“Emirates is investing in the retrofit program to keep meeting the needs of its customers. We received a very positive response to the existing Premium Economy seats. The customers were enthusiastic about the quality and the comfort. A brand new business class product is also still planned. We will announce further details in due course ”, so Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.

At the end of the upgrade program, Emirates will have a total of 111 Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s with premium economy seats. Six of the A380s will be delivered to the airline by December 2021. The Emirates A2021 with Premium Economy Class will be in service on the airline's flights to Frankfurt, London Heathrow, New York JFK and Paris by the end of December 380.