Emirates is moving into the next phase of its multi-year fleet retrofit, preparing 111 aircraft - 60 Airbus A380s and 51 Boeing 777s - for upgraded cabins and new onboard technology beginning August 2026. The programme, one of the largest of its kind, will introduce redesigned seating, an updated onboard lounge for the A380, a fully refreshed in-flight entertainment system, and enhanced connectivity through Starlink.

The work will be carried out by Emirates Engineering in coordination with Airbus, Safran, Recaro, Panasonic, Starlink, and UUDS. These partners will supply new Business Class seating, premium-economy designs, economy seats tailored for long-haul travel, and Panasonic’s Astrova entertainment platform, which will be installed on all aircraft included in this phase.

Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, said the project reflects the carrier’s commitment to keeping product standards aligned across its wide-body fleet. He noted that the goal is to match the innovations currently entering service on new aircraft, including upgraded seating privacy, improved charging options, and redesigned cabin features.

Business Class cabins on both aircraft types will be fitted with Emirates’ newest seat generation, inspired by the Safran S-Lounge design introduced on the A350. Premium Economy will feature Recaro seats with mechanical recline, leg and footrests, and 13.3-inch screens. Economy cabins will adopt Safran’s Z400 long-haul seat with an eight-way adjustable headrest.

The Astrova entertainment system will bring 4K OLED screens, HDR10+ capability, spatial audio, and high-capacity USB-C charging. Bluetooth pairing and Panasonic’s Arc 3D moving map will also be standard. Emirates will link these features with its Skywards programme to support content recommendations based on viewing history.

Starlink connectivity, already confirmed for the fleet, will be installed in parallel with the cabin work to accelerate rollout across global routes.

The retrofit programme has expanded several times since it was first announced in 2021. Emirates now plans to refurbish 219 aircraft in total. So far, 76 have been completed, with each A380 undergoing about 22 days of work and each Boeing 777 about 18 days. Two aircraft are delivered back into service each month.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.