en.Wedoany.com Reported - July 14, 2026 – Emirates has reached a significant milestone in its fleet refurbishment program, completing cabin upgrades on 100 aircraft since its launch in November 2022, with each refurbished aircraft featuring updated interiors and new Premium Economy seats.

The upgrades cover 47 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, the two most widely used aircraft types in Emirates' long-haul network. The refurbishment program is part of the airline's broader $5 billion investment aimed at upgrading 219 aircraft. Due to ongoing delivery delays of new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, the airline has been forced to extend the service life of its existing fleet.

Emirates stated that it expects to complete work on more than half of these aircraft by the end of December 2026, with approximately 20 more aircraft set for refurbishment this year. The airline is expanding its Premium Economy product on more routes, planning to serve 99 destinations by the end of the year. Since the start of the refurbishment program, over 3,800 Premium Economy seats have been installed in the refurbished fleet.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, noted that completing full cabin refurbishments on 100 wide-body aircraft within 44 months is a significant achievement. The refurbishment program has taken 44 months, involving over 400 engineers and technicians working at Emirates' engineering facility in Dubai. The team has spent a total of 4.4 million man-hours upgrading the aircraft, with each refurbishment including the removal of the aircraft interior, followed by the installation of updated cabins, seats, and fittings.

For the Airbus A380, engineers use over 4,000 individual components during the upgrade process, while the Boeing 777 refurbishment uses over 2,500 components. The project collaborates with over 100 suppliers, while Emirates has developed specialized equipment and modified vehicles to move large aircraft components within its engineering hangars.

Emirates first announced the refurbishment program in 2021, initially covering 105 aircraft. As demand for Premium Economy grew, the airline expanded the project to 191 aircraft in 2024, and later that year increased the total to 219. The first refurbished Airbus A380 entered the program in November 2022, and the first modified Boeing 777 resumed commercial service in August 2024. The next phase of the program is expected to begin in October 2026, with aircraft equipped with new 4K OLED HDR10+ seatback entertainment screens and lightweight Safran Z400 seats, along with other cabin upgrades.

In addition to the refurbishment work, Emirates said that materials removed from aircraft cabins, including leather and fabric, are being repurposed to create limited-edition luggage and other products under its "Aircrafted by Emirates" line. The airline has also used refurbished economy class seat fabric to produce over 4,000 backpacks, distributed to children in 11 countries.