Emirates is launching its largest ever fleet renewal project as part of a multi-billion dollar investment to take the passenger experience to the next level. Emirates has embarked on a plan to completely renew the cabins of 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, two of the largest commercial aircraft types in service today.
Officially launching in November, this ambitious project will be led entirely by Emirates' Engineering team, representing a billion-dollar investment to enable Emirates passengers to fly “better” for years to come.
Within the scope of the project, which will continue for a period of about 2 years, it is aimed to completely renew four Emirates aircraft every month. After 67 clad A380 aircraft are renewed and put back into service, the external appearance of 53 777 aircraft will be overhauled. When the project is completed in April 2025, approximately 4.000 new Premium Economy cabin seats will have been installed, 728 First Class suites have been refurbished and more than 5.000 Business Class cabin seats will receive a new style and design.
In addition, carpets, stairs and cabin interior panels will be refreshed with new color tones and new design motifs, including iconic ghaf trees unique to the UAE.
A renovation of this scale has never been undertaken by any airline before, and there is no other example of this project. That's why Emirates Engineering teams have been conducting extensive planning and testing for some time to identify processes and potential disruptions.
Testing began on an A380 aircraft in July, and experienced engineers literally disassembled each cabin one by one and recorded every step. From removing the seats and panels to the bolts and screws to be used, every process has been tested, timed and planned. Potential obstacles to completing the assembly work of Emirates' new Premium Economy Class in just 16 days or refurbishing the three remaining cabins have been identified and documented for expert teams to review and resolve.
As part of the programme, new dedicated workshops will be set up in Emirates Engineering to repaint, upholster and upholster Business and Economy Class seats with new covers and pillows. First Class suites will be carefully disassembled and sent to a specialist firm to replace leather, armrests and other materials.
During the test runs, the engineers also came up with interesting solutions, such as using existing catering vehicles with adequately wide doors and adequate space to transport parts to be refurbished from the plane to the workshop.
An interdisciplinary team was formed to regularly review the planning process, resolve issues, and keep track of updates on various aspects of the project, such as procurement, staffing and training, until the renovation program fully kicks off in November.
Emirates' new Premium Economy cabin class, which offers luxury seats, more legroom between seats and a quality of service to rival many airlines' Business offerings, is now available to Emirates passengers traveling on A380-type aircraft in the most popular destinations London, Paris, Sydney. put into service. As the renewal program gains momentum, more passengers will be able to experience the airline's new Premium Economy cabins from the end of the year.
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