Emirates is significantly expanding the reach of its popular Premium Economy cabin, launching the service in 10 new cities and adding more flights on two existing routes from January 8, 2026. Supported by its next-generation Airbus A350 fleet, the airline will also add extra daily frequencies to Copenhagen, Phuket, and Cape Town ahead of the peak summer travel season, with Premium Economy set to be on over 84 routes globally by July 1, 2026.
A350s Add Frequency to Key Destinations
Emirates is deploying its new A350s to add capacity. The airline received its first A350 in November 2024, and now operates 13 of these aircraft. From June 1, a second daily A350 service (EK153/154) will launch to Copenhagen, departing Dubai at 14:50 local time. A third daily flight to Phuket (EK390/391) and a third daily flight to Cape Town (EK778/779) will commence from July 1. This expansion is part of the airline’s massive $41.4 billion orderbook for 375 new wide-body aircraft, including 73 Airbus A350-900s. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group stated:
“This is a massive investment in our future, the future of flying better for our customers…”
Network-Wide Premium Rollout
The 10 new cities set to receive Premium Economy services span the globe. The services will utilise both the newly delivered A350s and retrofitted Boeing 777s. Key expansions include flights to Barcelona and Mexico City from February, Rome from March, and Cochin, Karachi, and Taipei through the spring. In the Middle East, services to Basra, Kuwait City, and Tehran will be upgraded, while in Africa, Addis Ababa and Cape Town will gain the premium cabin.
This push is part of a bigger retrofit programme. Emirates is retrofitting 219 of its older planes. This includes 60 A380s and 51 Boeing 777s. The upgrades include new seats, the Panasonic Astrova entertainment system, and Starlink Wi-Fi. An A380 retrofit takes about 22 days. A Boeing 777 takes 18 days. Two refurbished aircraft are completed each month. This ensures a consistent, premium experience across the entire fleet.
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