Emirates has completed the first major reconfiguration of its two-class A380 fleet, retrofitting aircraft A6-EUX into a three-class layout and marking a new chapter in its sweeping cabin upgrade programme.
The refurbished aircraft, now operating as EK 39/40 between Dubai and Birmingham, features 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy seats and 437 Economy Class seats. Notably, it marks the first time Emirates' Premium Economy cabin will appear on the upper deck of an A380.
The retrofit was carried out entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai. A team of around 50 engineers and technicians invested approximately 35,000 man-hours and worked with more than 2,500 types of parts over two months to complete the overhaul. This included removing 120 Economy Class seats from the upper deck and carrying out structural modifications to galley modules, overhead bins, electrical systems and plumbing.
Emirates President Sir Tim Clark called the programme a commitment to delivering a consistently elevated experience.
"Our retrofit programme has raised the bar at every step, in terms of complexity, scale and detailed craftsmanship,"
he said.
This aircraft is the first of 15 two-class A380s scheduled for reconfiguration, with subsequent retrofits expected to take around 30 days each. All 15 are set to be completed by the end of 2026.
The broader retrofit programme, launched in 2021 and later expanded from 120 to 219 aircraft, has so far overhauled 95 planes, representing more than a third of the Emirates fleet. Around 270 dedicated staff ensure an average of two refreshed aircraft leave the Dubai hangars each month.
Materials recovered during the process are also repurposed through Emirates' upcycling initiative, which has produced collector items and donated approximately 4,000 backpacks to children across 10 countries.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
