Emirates expands upgraded A380 and 777 services, plans A350 deployment to Australia

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Emirates expands upgraded A380 and 777 services, plans A350 deployment to Australia

Policy

Michael Doersam Chief Financial & Group Services Officer | Emirates Airline

By Sky Industry News

Apr 28, 2025

Emirates has announced plans to extend its fleet rollover with upgrades to its Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, expanding the enhanced services to eight more cities. The upgraded A380s will soon serve Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nice, and Perth, while upgraded Boeing 777s will be deployed to Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, and Frankfurt. Additional services to Dublin using refitted Boeing 777s are also planned.

Emirates' fleet enhancement includes a significant retrofit program, described as the largest in aviation history, costing approximately US $5 billion to refresh 219 aircraft. The airline's engineering teams are working intensively to complete a wide-body aircraft upgrade every three weeks on average. The comprehensive overhaul targets introducing over 2 million Premium Economy seats by the end of 2025, eventually growing to 4 million seats annually by the end of 2026.

The airline's revamped aircraft are expected to elevate customer experience on more than 70 routes. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, noted that the enhancement program aims to establish Emirates as a leader in Premium Economy services. Kazim highlighted Australia's importance in their network as the first long-range A350 is set to be introduced in Adelaide from 1 December.

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Key routes opening with refreshed services include Bangkok from 1 July 2025, Hong Kong from 1 October, Nice and Perth in mid to late October, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur by 15 October, Frankfurt by mid-December, and both Phuket and Dublin from 1 December. Additionally, Adelaide will be the debut destination for the airline's long-range Airbus A350.

By the project’s completion, Emirates will have updated 51 aircraft, adding a capacity of 219 refreshed Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, utilizing significant quantities of new materials for a refit effort set to modernize cabin experiences across their fleet. The refurbishment will include installing 8,512 new Premium Economy seats, overhauled Business Class seats, and updated Economy Class seating.

Kazim further stated: "The redoubling of our refurbishment programme efforts means that by the end of this year, Emirates will have established itself as one of the preeminent industry leaders offering Premium Economy seats. In the next two years, we will definitively cement our position as the industry leader in Premium Economy deployment."

Emirates has focused on maintaining high seat occupancy rates while expanding its Premium Economy offering. Its retrofit plans are extensive, with the workforce involved dedicating significant manpower resources to meet the airline's ambitious deadlines.