Inside Emirates’ $5-billion cabin makeover programme

Emirates has embarked on the world's largest in-house aircraft retrofit mission, a monumental $5 billion cabin makeover program for its entire fleet of over 260 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft. This ambitious undertaking, initially conceived as a modest premium economy installation, significantly expanded in scope as global supply chain disruptions forced airlines to operate older jets longer. The program aims to refresh aging aircraft interiors, ensuring passenger loyalty and satisfaction amidst delays in new aircraft deliveries, including Emirates' own Boeing 777-9s.

The extensive refurbishment encompasses a complete cabin refresh for 219 aircraft. This includes the introduction of 56 premium economy seats, new Business Class seats, refreshed First Class and Economy Class seats, new carpets, and updated color palettes for wall panels. Future enhancements will also integrate new in-flight entertainment systems and Starlink WiFi, as announced at the recent Dubai Airshow. The airline's signature ghaf tree motif is also being incorporated into the updated interiors, notably in the First Class Shower spa on the Airbus A380s.

Executing a project of this scale presented significant operational hurdles. A primary challenge involved the lack of hangar space, necessitating aircraft refurbishment outdoors at Dubai International Airport under extreme temperatures. Emirates sourced specialized cooling units globally to protect both machinery and engineers. Furthermore, the engineering team, assembled from scratch, innovated solutions for efficiently removing entire rows of seats, adapting catering trucks and hydraulic platforms for safe operations, particularly for the Boeing 777's lower exit doors.

Through meticulous trials and continuous refinement, the dedicated team of 350 engineers progressively optimized the refurbishment process. Initially, an A380 trial aircraft was dismantled and reassembled multiple times to map out the most efficient and safest procedures. This rigorous approach has dramatically reduced the full facelift time to just 21 days for Airbus A380s and 18 days for Boeing 777s. The program's ongoing nature suggests a continuous commitment to fleet modernization, ensuring Emirates maintains a premium passenger experience for the foreseeable future.