The first of the refurbished Emirates A380 has re-entered service, with it flying off to Heathrow on its first flight on Friday.
The aircraft – A6-EVM – has been in the shop having a full refit, as Emirates kicks its US$ 2 billion retrofit program. Emirates provided a time-lapse video of the aircraft getting its work done.
It’s a key moment for the programme with it being the first of 120 Emirates aircraft that will be refurbished, in the programme that will last into 2025.
A6-EVM has been busy with it conducting its first flights to London Heathrow and Sydney from its Dubai base.
The fully refreshed A380 features Emirates’ latest products and interiors across all cabins, including 56 Premium Economy class seats on the main deck and new colour palettes evident in the carpeting and wall panels.
Emirates Premium Economy featuring Recaro seating
Emirates re-fitted Economy Class on A380 – Image, Emirates
On the upper deck, First and Business Class seats sport Emirates’ latest cream-coloured leather upholstery and lighter-toned wood finishing, similar to the airline’s ‘game changer’ product.
Emirates signature ghaf tree motif also features prominently throughout the interiors, including hand-stencilled panels in the First Class Shower Spa.
In Quotes
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said:
“Customers will notice the difference the moment they step onboard – the spacious A380 will look and feel even more impressive and comfortable. With our latest interiors and products, this newly refurbished aircraft elevates our inflight experience in all classes of travel, and enables us to offer more Premium Economy seats to meet customer demand. I’m particularly proud that this refurbishment work was designed, conducted and completed inhouse at our facilities in Dubai, to the highest standards of quality and safety. It reflects the world-class aviation capabilities and infrastructure that exists within Emirates, and here in the UAE.”
The work continues
The next Emirates A380 aircraft lined up for its make-over is A6-EUW, with the work expected to be completed by the end of this month. This will be the second of 67 A380s to go through the refit process.
As the program progresses, engineers will work simultaneously on two aircraft at once. This means that one aircraft in the fleet will be withdrawn from service every eight days and transferred to Emirates Engineering facilities to allow the work to be conducted.
By 2024, all 67 A380s assigned for refurbishment will have returned to service. Emirates will then begin work on its 53 Boeing 777s earmarked for this project. The airline expects to complete the program in 2025.
With the airline increasing the use of its refitted A380 fleet in the future with plans to deploy the type with premium economy products to New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, and Auckland in the future, more of these refits will be welcome as the Emirates fleet continues to spread its wings.
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