Emirates has completed the first retrofit of a two-class A380 into a three-cabin layout, adding Premium Economy seating to the aircraft’s upper deck for the first time. The reconfigured plane, registered A6-EUX, entered service on May 20 on the Dubai–Birmingham route as EK 39/40, carrying 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy seats, and 437 Economy Class seats.
The work was done entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai. To fit Premium Economy onto the upper deck, engineers removed 120 Economy Class seats and installed 56 Premium Economy and 18 additional Business Class seats in their place. That required structural modifications to galley modules, overhead bins, stowage areas, partitions, and both electrical and plumbing systems. Around 50 engineers and technicians were involved, logging approximately 35,000 man-hours and drawing on more than 2,500 different parts. The job took two months from planning to completion. Future two-class A380 retrofits are expected to take around 30 days, with all 15 aircraft in that sub-fleet scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
The Premium Economy cabin in the upper deck features leather seats in a 2-3-2 configuration with full leg and footrests, six-way adjustable headrests, built-in charging ports, side cocktail tables, and 13.3-inch personal screens. Interiors across all three cabins have also been updated, with new carpets, ceiling panels, Ghaf tree motifs, and premium wood finishes.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said the retrofit programme “has raised the bar at every step, in terms of complexity, scale and detailed craftsmanship,” adding that reconfiguring the two-class aircraft demonstrates the “extensive capabilities” of the engineering team.
Emirates launched its retrofit programme in 2021, initially targeting 120 aircraft. Strong customer response led the airline to expand the scope twice: first to 191 aircraft in May 2024, then to 219 later that year. To date, 95 aircraft have been completed — 42 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s — representing more than one third of the current fleet. Around 270 dedicated staff keep the programme running at a pace of roughly two aircraft per month.
Materials stripped from cabins during the overhaul feed into an upcycling initiative. Products include the “Aircrafted” range of collector pieces and “Aircrafted for Kids” backpacks made from repurposed Economy Class seat fabric. Around 4,000 of the children’s backpacks have been distributed across 10 countries.
