Australia is front and centre as Emirates accelerates its AU$7.8 billion fleet refresh, with Adelaide confirmed as the first city globally to receive the airline’s new long-range Airbus A350 from December. Perth is also in line for an upgrade, becoming the next Australian city to welcome the airline’s latest-generation A380.
Meanwhile, Emirates is scaling up its Premium Economy offering across its network, aiming to serve over 70 cities with retrofitted A380s, Boeing 777s and newly delivered A350s by the end of 2025.
Australia’s key role in Emirates’ expansion
Emirates will introduce its long-range Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range) on flights to Adelaide starting 1 December 2025. The new aircraft, capable of flying more than 14,000 kilometres non-stop for over 15 hours, will operate daily services EK440/441 between Adelaide and Dubai.
“Deploying our first long-range A350 to Adelaide is an exciting development and underscores the importance of Australia as a major eastbound anchor in our network,” Adnan Kazim, the airline’s Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said.
“It also represents our commitment to delivering the best possible long-haul experience on our latest generation aircraft.”
From 26 October 2025, Perth will also join Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in hosting Emirates’ newest A380s. Flights EK420/421 between Perth and Dubai will switch to the refurbished A380, featuring the airline’s latest cabin designs including Premium Economy.
Emirates turbocharges its Premium Economy rollout
By the end of 2025, Emirates plans to offer more than two million Premium Economy seats per year, with that figure set to double to four million seats annually by the end of 2026.
Since the start of its retrofit program in November 2022, Emirates has upgraded 51 aircraft, now operating to 38 destinations. The program covers full cabin refurbishments of 219 aircraft—110 A380s and 109 Boeing 777s—making it the largest initiative of its kind in aviation history.
“The latest rollout of refurbished Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s and new A350s offer more opportunities for customers in over 70 dynamic cities and growing economies to enjoy our latest generation premium onboard experience combined with our award-winning service,” Kazim said.
“In the next two years, we will definitively cement our position as the industry leader in Premium Economy deployment.”
Emirates reports strong demand for Premium Economy, maintaining seat loads averaging over 80% on long-haul routes featuring the product.
What’s changing across Emirates’ network
Alongside its Australian upgrades, Emirates will expand its latest interiors to eight more cities:
- Bangkok: Refurbished A380 on EK372/373 from 1 July 2025
- Hong Kong: Four-class A380 with refreshed interiors on EK380/381 from 1 October 2025
- Nice: A380 featuring Premium Economy cabins on EK077/078 from 15 October 2025
- Madrid: Refurbished Boeing 777 on EK143/144 from 15 October 2025
- Kuala Lumpur: Refurbished Boeing 777 on EK346/347 from 15 October 2025
- Phuket: Refurbished Boeing 777 on EK396/397 from 1 December 2025
- Frankfurt: Refurbished Boeing 777 on EK043/044 from 15 December 2025
- Dublin: Second upgraded Boeing 777 from 1 December 2025
(Deployment dates may be brought forward if aircraft are released earlier from refurbishment.)
Inside Emirates’ AU$7. billion makeover
Emirates’ fleet refresh is being delivered by its in-house Engineering Centre team, with over 270 engineers and technicians working around the clock. On average, it takes 22 days to retrofit an A380 and 18 days for a Boeing 777, with two aircraft rolling out of the program each month.
Once completed, the project will deliver:
- 8,512 new Premium Economy seats
- 2,034 refreshed First Class suites
- 12,720 upgraded Business Class seats
- 68,364 overhauled Economy Class seats
- 218,000 metres of fabric for Economy seats
- 132,000 square metres of carpet installed
- 14,000 square metres of laminate applied to cabin walls
“The scaling up of our Premium Economy offering strengthens our competitive proposition to travellers and makes it our strategic differentiator by offering them more choice as they increasingly seek premium travel experiences,” Kazim said.
The retrofit project is also focused on consistency, ensuring a seamless experience across the fleet for customers travelling to and through Dubai.
Adelaide to lead Emirates’ A350 network
Adelaide will be the first destination to receive Emirates’ new A350-900ULR, which will feature:
- 32 lie-flat Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration
- 28 Premium Economy seats
- 238 Economy Class seats
Emirates expects to have five A350 aircraft in service by the end of 2025, all earmarked for long-haul missions. If delivery schedules allow, A350 deployments could be brought forward.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Adelaide will lead Emirates’ global A350 rollout and Perth is next for the A380 cabin upgrade, reinforcing Australia’s priority in the airline’s network. The rapid expansion of Premium Economy unlocks new upsell potential, while a more consistent product across key routes strengthens Emirates’ appeal for long-haul bookings.
