With Riyadh flight, Emirates to offer Premium Economy on GCC routes for first time
Dubai airline's retrofitted Boeing 777 with Premium Economy to fly to Saudi city on Oct. 1
Dubai: Emirates airline will fly its retrofitted Boeing 777s to Zurich and Riyadh from October 1, as more of these aircraft return to the network. It adds to the Geneva and Brussels operations that the aircraft - put through an extensive nose-to-toe makeover - will fly to.
The airline aims to offer 'more of its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product and newly configured Business Class cabin on the Boeing 777 in the coming weeks and months'.
Schedule for the Boeing 777s
- To Zurich, Emirates will operate the retrofitted 777 on EK 85 and EK 86 starting from October 1.
- Riyadh services too - on EK 819 and EK 820 - get to start October 1. This marks the first time for Emirates' Premium Economy cabins in the GCC and Middle East.
- From September 22, Geneva will become the first city in the Emirates network to offer Premium Economy seats and newly refreshed Business Class cabins on all flights, with the introduction of the retrofitted B777 on EK 89 and EK 90.
- From October 9, Emirates will operate its second retrofitted B777 to Brussels on EK 181 and EK 182 six times weekly.
The airline plans to serve 28 cities with its Premium Economy by the end of this year. So far, 25 aircraft have been retrofitted, with 17 more aircraft to undergo a facelift by December 2024. (It was in 2021 that Emirates introduced the Premium Economy option.)
The four-class Boeing 777 is configured with six- or eight First Class suites, 38 Business class seats in a four-abreast arrangement, 24 seats in Premium Economy in a 2-4-2 layout, and 260 Economy class seats.