First retrofitted Emirates A380 Enters Service

The A380 is the first to enter service. Premium Economy was included in the first A380 retrofitted with new interiors. The interior cabins of 120 aircraft will be upgraded.

This ambitious project, representing a multi-billion dollar investment, will begin in November and is managed by the Engineering team.

The goal is to retrofit four aircraft every month for two years. The A380s will be refreshed and back in service. More than 5,000 Business Class seats will be upgraded to a new style and design when the project is completed in April 2025.

The cabin interior panels will be refreshed with new tones and design motifs and carpets and stairs will be upgraded.

The A380 trials began in July with experienced engineers taking each cabin apart piece-by-piece and logging every step. Every action was tested, timed and mapped out. Potential obstacles to completing the installation of the new Premium Economy Class or the retrofit of the remaining cabins were flagged and documented for expert teams to review and address.

As part of the programme, new purpose-built workshops will be set up at Emirates Engineering to paint and re-upholster Business and Economy Class seats. The leather, arm rests and other materials will be replaced by a specialized company.

Engineers discovered that existing food trucks could be used to move parts from the aircraft to the workshop for their refresh, as they had doors of the right width and space.

Until the retrofit programme starts in earnest in November, a cross-disciplinary team has been assembled to regularly review the planning process, address any issues, and update on various aspects of the project.