Emirates has completed cabin retrofits on 100 wide-body aircraft since November 2022, reaching a milestone the airline describes as the largest such programme ever undertaken by a single carrier.
The work has been carried out entirely in-house at Emirates Engineering hangars in Dubai, deploying more than 400 engineers and technicians over 44 months and consuming a collective 4.4 million man hours.
The fleet covered so far includes 47 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, each subject to a full nose-to-tail interior overhaul. Around 20 additional aircraft are expected to complete the process by the end of December 2026, which would take the programme well past its halfway point within a US$5 billion total investment.
“Our commitment to deliver best-in-class products across every cabin is an ongoing endeavour, and completing full cabin retrofits for 100 wide-body aircraft in 44 months is a significant achievement. Backed by a US$5 billion investment, it ensures our customers ‘fly better,’ with elevated luxury, comfort, and thoughtful detail throughout each cabin. Executing a project of this magnitude and complexity entirely inhouse has also required unmatched planning, precision, craftsmanship and technical capabilities here in Dubai. Our team has completely rewritten the rulebook on retrofitting the two largest passenger aircraft in commercial aviation to make sure that every aircraft returns to the skies on schedule and in impeccable shape,” Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said in a statement.
Every aircraft in the programme has received a new Premium Economy cabin, bringing the total number of such seats installed to more than 3,800. The rollout has extended Emirates’ Premium Economy offering to more routes across its network.
The engineering demands of the programme were considerable. Each A380 retrofit involves more than 4,000 parts; each 777 requires more than 2,500. To manage the logistics inside the hangars, the team adapted catering trucks for moving large components, and designed and manufactured several pieces of custom equipment for accessing interior sections. Emirates Engineering has worked with more than 100 suppliers throughout.
The programme was first announced in November 2021 covering 105 aircraft. Strong demand prompted an expansion to 191 aircraft by May 2024, and then to 219 aircraft by the end of that year. The first retrofitted Boeing 777 entered commercial service in August 2024. A more complex recent milestone came in May 2026, when engineers completed a two-to-three class conversion of an A380, which involved structural changes including the introduction of a Premium Economy cabin on the aircraft’s upper deck for the first time.
The next phase of the programme begins in October 2026, with the installation of 4K OLED HDR10+ seatback screens and new lightweight Safran Z400 seats across further aircraft.
On the sustainability side, materials stripped from retrofitted cabins, including leather and fabric, are being repurposed into limited-edition products under the Aircrafted by Emirates label. The airline has also produced more than 4,000 backpacks from reclaimed Economy Class seat fabric and distributed them to children across 11 countries.
