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

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.