Emirates is to embark on an “extensive and record-breaking” aircraft interior refurbishment, as part of a $2 billion investment into improving its inflight cabin experience.
In a 10 August statement, the Middle Eastern carrier says every cabin class will be refreshed, “where cabins will be retrofitted with new or reupholstered seats, new panelling, flooring and other cabin features”.
The first aircraft is scheduled for retrofitting in November. Emirates also hints at “more announcements about new products and services” in the future, but did not elaborate.
Says Emirates president Tim Clark: “While others respond to industry pressures with cost cuts, Emirates is flying against the grain and investing to deliver ever better experiences to our customers.
“Now we’re rolling out a series of intensive programmes to take Emirates’ signature inflight experiences to the next level,” he adds.
Emirates will also ramp up the installation of its new premium economy cabin, with the airline expected to have 120 aircraft – more than half the current operational fleet of over 220 aircraft – fitted with premium economy.
The number of aircraft is slightly higher than Emirates’ earlier projection in late-2021, when it announced plans for a retrofit covering over 100 jets.
The airline took delivery of its first A380 to feature premium economy – and the first in its fleet – in December 2020. It was the first of six A380s being delivered from the manufacturer in a four-class configuration featuring premium economy.
Other elements of the soft product revamp include a dedicated vegan menu, as well as improvements on the first class dining experience.
