1 week Ago By Rytis Beresnevičius
Emirates has announced that it will add retrofitted Airbus A380 aircraft to flights to two European destinations, including Manchester and Milan. With the two new destinations, the retrofitted A380s will now be flying to 19 global destinations, the airline said. Expanding Retrofitted A380 Routes On April 9, Emirates announced that its retrofitted A380 aircraft, which includes premium economy seats, will be flying from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Manchester Airport (MAN) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP).
Flights from Dubai to Manchester will begin on June 6 and from Dubai to Milan on July 1. However, if the retrofits progress faster than planned, the airline could deploy the A380s with premium economy seats to the Italian city earlier. Flight EK17/EK18 and flight EK91/92 are currently daily flights to Manchester and Milan, respectively, operated by A380s.
Emirates highlighted that with the introduction of its retrofitted A380s to Manchester, its premium economy offering to the United Kingdom will expand to nearly 5,000 weekly seats from June. The enhanced service complements the four daily retrofitted A380 flights to London Heathrow Airport (LHR), A350-900 services to Edinburgh Airport (EDI), and the soon-to-be-launched refurbished Boeing 777 flights to London Stansted Airport (STN). “Milan will become Emirates’ second Italian gateway to offer the airline’s latest cabins and Premium Economy seats following the planned deployment of the airline’s A350 to Bologna later in June.
” More Destinations Emirates said that with the introduction of refurbished A380s on flights to Manchester and Milan, the network of destinations with the type will expand to 19 airsports, underscoring its commitment to investing in its passenger experience. By July, passengers flying from Manchester and Milan will be able to experience the carrier’s latest cabin features onboard the four-class A380s on the full journey to key points across Australasia and Asia, including Sydney Airport (SYD), Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), and others, via Dubai. During the month, Emirates retrofitted A380s, which have 14 first class, 76 business class, 56 premium economy, and 322, 338, or 341 economy class seats, totaling 468, 484, or 487 seats, should operate 157 weekly flights to a wide range of destinations, including a one-stop flight from Dubai to Christchurch International Airport (CHC) via Sydney.
This includes several destinations in the US, such as Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Previously, Emirates announced that starting February 1, or earlier, if the retrofits had progressed faster, it would deploy the premium economy-equipped A380s to Brisbane Airport (BNE) in Australia.
It’s the perfect middle ground. Premium Economy Retrofits The airline, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), highlighted that the premium economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck of the double-decker, offering 56 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. “Each seat offers generous pitch and width for working and relaxing, as well as customized features like in-seat charging points and a side cocktail table.
The onboard experience is rounded off with meticulously selected in-flight amenities, a curated menu, and extensive beverage options, including the Chandon Vintage Brut 2016, a global exclusive to Emirates Premium Economy passengers.” On May 9, 2022, Emirates officially unveiled its full premium economy product , highlighting that first, it would deploy its retrofitted A380s on high-traffic routes to London-Heathrow, Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG), Sydney, and Christchurch. At the time, Tim Clark, the President of Emirates, confidently said that the class would be exceptional among the same cabin products, with minute attention being given to every aspect of the passenger experience.
Emirates operated the first-ever retrofitted A380 service on January 6, 2023, with the refurbished double-decker flying from Dubai to London. On May 7, 2024, the carrier expanded the retrofit program from 120 to 191 aircraft, including 110 A380 and 81 777s..
