The first Emirates A380 to be completely refurbished under Emirates Airline's $2billion retrofit programme took to the skies today flying from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to London Heathrow (LHR).
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.
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.
Sir Tim Clark, President 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 in-flight 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 in-house 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 plane, registered A6-EVM, is the first of Emirates' 120 aircraft (67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s) to be completely refurbished. Work is already underway on the next Emirates A380 which is expected to be completed by the end of this month, with all 67 A380s earmarked for refurbishment expected to be completed by 2024 and all 53 Boeing 777s by 2025.