Emirates flies refurbished Boeing 777 to Riyadh, a first for the GCC region

Dubai: Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, deployed its refurbished Boeing 777 to Riyadh, a first for GCC destinations. The retrofitted twinjet wide-body aircraft features four classes, including an all-new Business Class cabin and Premium Economy seats. The newly refurbished aircraft will operate on the EK 819/820 daily service.

“The Emirates Boeing 777 offers 24 Premium Economy seats arranged in a 2-4-2 layout with 6-way adjustable headrests for added comfort and space – making it an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers,” the airline said.

The upgraded Business Class cabin offers more privacy, with 38 seats in a spacious 1-2-1 configuration, direct aisle access, a mini-bar and multiple charging ports. The aircraft also features six First Class gamechanger suites. The airline's very first retrofitted Boeing 777 was deployed to Geneva, Switzerland, in August. 

By the end of this year, Emirates said it would have 48 aircraft retrofitted with Premium Economy seats, serving 27 destinations, including Dubai, using Emirates’ fleet of B777s, A380s, and A350s.

Emirates operates 72 weekly flights to all four gateways in Saudi Arabia, including three daily flights to Riyadh, on a mixed fleet of B777s and A380s.

Amid aircraft supply shortages and soaring travel demand, Dubai’s flagship carrier embarked on the largest known fleet retrofit project as part of a multi-billion-dollar investment, seeking to extend its lifespan into the early 2040s.

In May, Emirates announced it would completely refurbish another 43 A380s and 28 Boeing 777 aircraft, expanding its retrofit programme to 191 aircraft.

The original plan called for 120 aircraft - 67 A380s and 53 777s to undergo complete refurbishment. In an earlier statement, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said, “We’re topping up our multi-billion-dollar investment in the retrofit programme to introduce cutting-edge cabin products on more of our A380s and Boeing 777s, demonstrating a clear commitment to elevating the customer experience with a best-in-class suite of products across every cabin.”

Refurbishment work for the Emirates fleet is completely managed and executed in-house at the airline’s Engineering Centre. Over 250 project personnel are currently working round the clock, supported by 31 major partners and suppliers who have set up workshops both in the facility and offsite to deliver the refreshed cabins.

Once the last aircraft rolls out of the retrofit programme and the project is fully complete, the airline will have installed 8,104 next-generation Premium Economy seats, 1,894 refreshed First Class suites, 11,182 upgraded Business Class seats and 21,814 Economy Class seats.