The next phase of Emirates’ retrofit programme has 60 A380s and 51 Boeing 777s lined up for a top-to-tail refresh.
From August 2026, these aircraft begin welcoming a suite of new cabin products, a next-gen ice entertainment platform, and upgraded in-flight Wi-Fi via Starlink.
For years, Emirates has nudged suppliers to build what passengers actually want: more privacy, smarter power, fewer compromises. As Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, puts it: “Emirates’ retrofit programme is about continuously elevating standards across our entire fleet. Our customers expect an excellent experience every time they fly Emirates, and this investment ensures we deliver on that promise in the years to come, wherever they travel with us.”
In Business Class, both A380 and 777 cabins move to Emirates’ latest-generation seating, inspired by the leather S Lounge seats from the new A350s. Storage is more thoughtful, the personal minibar remains a neat flourish, and 4K ice entertainment turns the screen into something you’ll actually want to watch.
Premium Economy continues being properly spacious without the Business ticket. Recaro’s latest mechanical recline is paired with leather upholstery, integrated leg and footrests, and an adjustable headrest. In-seat charging, a side cocktail table, and a 13.3-inch screen round out a cabin pitched at travellers who value creature comforts as much as sensible fares.
Economy too gets attention it rarely enjoys. Safran’s lightweight Z400 seats, designed for long-haul duty, bring an adjustable eight-way headrest for genuinely better support, along with considered tech touches that make the back of the plane feel far less like a compromise and far more like a fair deal.
Emirates is upgrading A380s and 777s to Panasonic’s Astrova platform; 4K OLED displays with HDR10+ that deliver inky blacks, vivid colour, and the sort of contrast you associate with a good home cinema rather than a cabin aisle. Spatial Audio deepens the immersion, whether you’re on Emirates’ premium headsets or your own via Bluetooth, and every seat gets muscular 67W USB-C power so even power-hungry laptops keep pace. Modular hardware means Emirates can swap in newer displays or power modules down the line.
Fleet-wide Starlink is being installed in lockstep with the cabin refit across both aircraft types, a coordinated rollout that avoids double downtime and accelerates the moment passengers can stream, work, and message at speeds that feel more fibre-optic than fossil.
First announced in 2021 for 120 aircraft, the programme expanded to 191 in May 2024 and later to 219 as Emirates pushed for network-wide consistency. Thus far, 76 aircraft have completed the works; each A380 spends roughly 22 days in surgery, each 777 about 18, with two freshly refurbished jets rolling out every month.
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