Emirates is accelerating the global expansion of its Premium Economy offering, aiming to reach 99 destinations by the end of 2026. This strategic growth is anchored by an intensive retrofit program designed to provide a more consistent cabin experience across the airline’s long-haul fleet. A key milestone in this rollout occurs on April 14, when the first modified high-density Airbus A380 enters service. This specific aircraft has been reconfigured into a three-cabin layout, featuring 56 Premium Economy seats alongside 76 in Business Class and 437 in Economy.
The initial deployment of the upgraded high-density A380 will see it operating on the Dubai-Amman route until the end of May, before transitioning to the Prague service on June 1. Emirates expects to have converted all fifteen of its two-cabin A380 aircraft to this new three-cabin configuration by November 2026.
Network expansion for the Premium Economy product is also scaling rapidly across several continents. In North America, New York JFK will see four-cabin A380 service increase to a daily frequency by June 1. European capacity is bolstered by the introduction of the cabin on daily Zurich flights starting March 1, providing over 1,500 seats weekly to the Swiss financial hub. Furthermore, Milan will receive retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR service in May, while Dublin is set to become an all-Premium Economy destination by late October, with the product available on all 21 weekly flights.
The expansion extends deep into Asian and African markets as well. Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to receive the upgraded Boeing 777-200LR from May 1, offering 600 weekly seats to the Vietnamese commercial center. Hong Kong will see its Boeing 777-300ER service upgraded to an A380 in October, with the Premium Economy cabin becoming officially available on December 1. Additionally, Entebbe will see an equipment change to the new Airbus A350 starting March 29, further modernizing the airline’s footprint in East Africa.
