Emirates completes retrofit of 100th aircraft in $5 billion cabin upgrade programme

Emirates has reached a major milestone in its US$5 billion fleet refurbishment programme, completing the retrofit of its 100th widebody aircraft since the project began in November 2022.

The airline has fully refurbished 47 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, investing 4.4 million labour hours over 44 months to modernise cabin interiors and introduce its new Premium Economy cabin. More than 3,800 Premium Economy seats have now been installed across the upgraded fleet.

The programme, carried out entirely at Emirates Engineering in Dubai, is the largest known aircraft retrofit project undertaken by any airline. More than 400 engineers and technicians have worked on the initiative, with each aircraft receiving a complete cabin overhaul using thousands of replacement parts.

Emirates expects to complete upgrades on around 20 additional aircraft by the end of 2026, taking the programme beyond the halfway mark of the 219 aircraft ultimately scheduled for refurbishment.

The next phase, beginning in October 2026, will introduce new 4K OLED HDR10+ seatback entertainment screens, lightweight Safran Z400 seats and further cabin enhancements. As part of its sustainability strategy, Emirates is also repurposing materials removed during the retrofits into luggage, accessories and backpacks under its “Aircrafted by Emirates” initiative.