Aviation

Emirates marks significant fleet renewal milestones

Airline completes reconfiguration of all 10 Boeing 777-200LR aircraft
Last two Boeing 777-300 Classic aircraft retiring from fleet

Dubai, U.A.E., 15 April 2019- Emirates is committed to offering its customers an unparalleled onboard experience and maintaining the highest standards of safety and efficiency with a modern all wide-body aircraft fleet.

Reconfiguration of Boeing 777-200LR fleet

In April 2019, the airline completed the reconfiguration of its last Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. Emirates invested USD $150 million in converting the 10 Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet from three to two class cabins featuring wider Business class seats in a 2-2-2 format and a fully refreshed economy class cabin.

The reconfiguration of the 10 aircraft was executed fully in-house at Emirates Engineering’s state of the art facilities in Dubai. The Engineering team spent a total of over 160,000 man hours on the project, working with more than 30 suppliers and handling over 2,700 spare parts at any one time. On an average it took about 35 days for the team to completely strip and reconfigure a single aircraft.

The first Boeing 777-200LR with the new configuration was rolled out for commercial service in March 2018 and over the course of the next 12 months, Emirates completed the conversion of the remaining nine aircraft in the fleet. The project was completed almost three months ahead of schedule.

Customers can experience Emirates’ refreshed Boeing 777-200LR from a number of destinations across its global network including Fort Lauderdale, Santiago, Sao Paulo, and Adelaide.

Retiring the last two Boeing 777-300 classic aircraft

In line with its ambitious fleet renewal programme, Emirates is also in the process of retiring the last two Boeing 777-300 classic aircraft in its fleet. A6-EMV, delivered in February 2003, has now been phased out of the Emirates fleet and A6-EMX, delivered in June 2003 will shortly also be removed from commercial service.

With the retirement of the Boeing 777-300 classic aircraft, Emirates’ Boeing fleet will be composed of the Boeing 777-300ER and the newly refreshed Boeing 777-200LR fleet.

Emirates’ fleet renewal programme for 2019 includes retiring a total of seven older Boeing 777 aircraft and taking delivery of six new Airbus A380. Emirates operates one of the youngest widebody aircraft fleets in the global aviation industry enabling the airline’s customers to enjoy a superior experience during their flight. A younger aircraft fleet also allows for better fuel efficiency and other related environmental benefits.

Related Topics:airbus Emirates Emirates Airlines

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

British Airways Unveils Its Brand-New First Class Cabin for the Airbus A380

This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

Etihad Airways Unveils 10 Exciting New Routes for 2025

In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.