Emirates is one of the few airlines still flying the Airbus A380, a dying breed of aircraft that will soon stop being produced by Airbus. But the world's largest operator of the A380 isn't giving up on the world's largest passenger jet.
The Middle Eastern mega carrier on Tuesday unveiled a massive overhaul to its flagship aircraft that sees every cabin receiving enhancements and even the addition of a premium economy class, a first for 35-year-old Emirates. The first A380 complete with the upgrades has already arrived in Dubai with more to be delivered in the next two years.
And while other airlines have moved to discard the A380 during the pandemic due to its high operating costs, Emirates still has nothing but praise for the aircraft. "It's palatial," CEO Sir Tim Clark told Business Insider's David Slotnick in a July interview. "And people absolutely love it. They still go out of their way to get on the 380."
Take a look inside one of Emirates' new Airbus A380s.
Emirates was an early adopter of the A380 and has become its most ardent supporter, amassing the largest fleet of the type while committing to fly it during the pandemic.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
The aircraft quite literally towers over anything else in Emirates' passenger fleet as the only double-decker aircraft the airline flies.
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane approaches for landing at Dubai Airports in Dubai.
Reuters
And it's become a status symbol for the airline, with Emirates First Class on the A380 one of the pinnacles of airborne luxury.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
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Emirates' A380s can be found flying as far as New York, Sydney, and Hong Kong from Dubai, or as close as Muscat, Oman.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
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But no matter the distance, the opulence of the A380 is the same on every flight.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
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Case in point, Emirates offers an in-flight shower for first class passengers on the A380.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
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Premium cabin customers can also visit the in-flight bar on the A380's upper deck.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
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And now it's time for an upgrade, starting with installing "ergonomically designed" economy seats throughout the entire 338-seat cabin.
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.
Emirates calls them "gamechanger" seats and says they're lighter with no sacrifice of comfort. They'll also feature new 13.3-inch in-flight entertainment screens and have tray tables complete with wood finishes.
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.
Here's what the seats look like on current A380s.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
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The soft color palette resembles the desert landscape of the UAE and seats come complete with heather adjustable headrests.
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.
The new A380s also feature Emirates' first premium economy cabin with 56 recliner seats in a standard 2-4-2 configuration.
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.
And that's just the first floor, the business class and first class cabins are located on the second floor.
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.
The in-flight bar is getting an upgrade, as well, with new seating areas and a more luxurious color palette similar to what's found in business class.
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.
No other existing aircraft will receive the premium economy cabin but Emirates says it will opt for the cabin on a future arrival, the Boeing 777X.
A Boeing 777X test flight.
The world's largest twin-engine jet is scheduled to be delivered to launch operator Emirates in 2023.
Boeing stages the first flight of its 777X plane outside Seattle.
Reuters
It's currently flying test flights around the Pacific Northwest in preparation for certification.
The first flight of the Boeing 777X.
Stephen Brashear/Getty
Emirates is considering retrofitting its existing A380 fleet to the new standard but the company has to weigh whether it's worth the investment for a plane whose days are numbered.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
Clark told Business Insider that the aircraft will "hopefully" fly for another decade. Emirates has over 100 A380s in its fleet at the moment.
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane takes off from Dubai International Airport in Dubai.
Reuters
Air France retired its A380 fleet after just 11 years, citing the pandemic as the reason since it couldn't fill the 516-seat aircraft anymore.
An Air France Airbus A380.
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