From the 6th of January, 2026, retrofitted Boeing 777 aircrafts will serve flights EK953/954 between Dubai and Beirut, as well as flights EK306/307 between Dubai and Beijing from February 1st, 2026.
Emirates Announces Flights to Beirut and Beijing
As of the 16th of December, 2026, Emirates has announced flights to Beirut and Beijing, with the aircrafts serving these flights all featuring Premium Economy. This will be the first time that travellers to and from Beirut experience the airline’s Premium Economy and Business Class cabin, whilst for Beijing, it becomes the fourth city in the Chinese mainland to receive Emirates’ latest aircraft.
With this announcement, Emirates has also shared the flight times, all in local hours. For the EK306 flight, depart time in Dubai is at 03:20 hours, arriving in Beijing at 14:45 hours. As for Beirut, the EK953 will arrive at 17:00 after a 15:40 departure from Beijing.
The EK307 and the EK954 return flights to Dubai will depart at 00:40 and 19:45 respectively. Travellers from Beijing can expect to arrive at 05:30, whilst those flying from Beirut are anticipated to arrive in Dubai at 00:50 hours.
This schedule will allow efficient connections to and from major cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, alongside New York, Los Angeles, and Montreal.
From Beijing, many popular destinations can be reached, including London Heathrow, Madrid, and Lisbon. Across all of these flights, Premium Economy is on offer for customers to and from, and many of these cities will also be served by the retrofitted Boeing 777s.
What Upgrades to Expect?
The Boeing 777 has seen various changes, flying with 260 Economy seats, 24 Premium Economy seats, 40 Business Class seats, and 8 First Class Suites. The interior has been completely upgraded with modern colour palettes and wood finishes, alongside specially designed Ghaf Tree motifs.
For the Business Class cabin, a complete redesign now arranges champagne leather seats in a 1-2-1 configuration for better privacy, full aisle access, and ample space. Additionally, in Premium Economy, passengers can expect spacious leather seats with a full recline, full leg and footrests, and adjustable headrests.
Emirates’ Premium Economy has been met with positive feedback in particular due to the range of standout features, such as in-seat charging points, a 13.3-inch TV screen, and a wood-finished side cocktail table. Moreover, pillows and blankets are offered on all flights, with complimentary amenity kits on select ones, as well as globally exclusive sparkling wine being available.
Whilst Emirates has stated that the retrofitted Boeing 777s will roll out from the 6th of January and the 1st of February, 2026, there may even be an advancement in their deployment if released from refurbishment earlier.
Follow Travel Radar for other stories like this, and click here for more stories on Emirates!
