Emirates just unveiled the swanky high-end design for its new Airbus A380 as most airlines say goodbye to the enormous plane - see inside

Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
  • Emirates is giving its new Airbus A380s an interior upgrade with each cabin receiving an enhancement.
  • Economy class will receive "ergonomically designed" seats with leather headrests and tray tables with wood finishes.
  • Premium economy will also make its first debut at the airline with 56 recliner seats in an elegant cabin.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

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. 

Emirates is known for luxurious aircraft, as Insider's Rachel Hosie found while touring the airline's A380 at the 2019 Dubai Air Show, and spares no expense, especially in its premium cabins. In first class on the A380, for example, passengers not only sit in gold-accented privates suites but have access to the master bathroom with its own shower.

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."

Read more: Emirates may reconsider plane orders from Airbus and Boeing because of the pandemic, but that's especially bad news for the US plane maker

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.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.

Source: Airbus

The aircraft quite literally towers over anything else in Emirates' passenger fleet as the only double-decker aircraft the airline flies.
FILE PHOTO: Emirates Airlines Airbus A380-800 plane approaches for landing at Dubai Airports in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 26, 2018. EUTERS/ Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane approaches for landing at Dubai Airports in Dubai.
And it's become a status symbol for the airline, with Emirates First Class on the A380 one of the pinnacles of airborne luxury.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
Emirates' A380s can be found flying as far as New York, Sydney, and Hong Kong from Dubai, or as close as Muscat, Oman.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
But no matter the distance, the opulence of the A380 is the same on every flight.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
Case in point, Emirates offers an in-flight shower for first class passengers on the A380.
Emirates Airbus A380 shower.
An Emirates Airbus A380.
Premium cabin customers can also visit the in-flight bar on the A380's upper deck.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
And now it's time for an upgrade, starting with installing "ergonomically designed" economy seats throughout the entire 338-seat cabin.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

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.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

Here's what the seats look like on current A380s.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
The soft color palette resembles the desert landscape of the UAE and seats come complete with heather adjustable headrests.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

The new A380s also feature Emirates' first premium economy cabin with 56 recliner seats in a standard 2-4-2 configuration.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

Along the cabin walls are new wood finishes, a key theme in the redesign, surrounding the windows.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

The seat-back screens are the same size as those in economy at 13.3 inches...
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

And the folding tray tables have the same wood finishes.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

A key feature of premium economy is the recliner seats and they come with a leg and foot rest.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

And that's just the first floor, the business class and first class cabins are located on the second floor.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

Business class seats now feature champagne-color finishes and more wood paneling.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

First class is also receiving wider suites with taller doors for more privacy. Here's what the existing product looks like.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.

Source: Emirates

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.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

First class passengers will notice more wood paneling in the shower spa and more modern touches.
Emirates Airbus A380 new interior
The new interior of Emirates' Airbus A380s.

Source: Emirates

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.
Boeing 777X
A Boeing 777X test flight.

Read more: The third Boeing 777X just flew for the first time — take a look at the enormous new flagship Boeing hopes will be its redemption

The world's largest twin-engine jet is scheduled to be delivered to launch operator Emirates in 2023.
FILE PHOTO: A pilot waves as a Boeing 777X airplane taxis during its first test flight from the company's plant in Everett, Washington, U.S. January 25, 2020. REUTERS/Terray Sylvester
Boeing stages the first flight of its 777X plane outside Seattle.
It's currently flying test flights around the Pacific Northwest in preparation for certification.
Boeing 777X
The first flight of the Boeing 777X.
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.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.

Read More: Double-decker planes are going extinct as Airbus and Boeing discontinue their largest models. Here's why airlines are abandoning 4-engine jets.

Airbus will stop producing the A380 in 2021 after its final delivery to, you guessed it, Emirates.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
The final fuselage has already arrived in Toulouse, France, where Airbus pieces together the A380.
Airbus A380
The last convoy of an Airbus A380 fuselage.

Read More: Airbus just trucked its final A380 fuselage through a small French village as the world's largest airliner is killed off

Clark told Business Insider that the aircraft will "hopefully" fly for another decade. Emirates has over 100 A380s in its fleet at the moment.
FILE PHOTO: An Emirates Airline Airbus A380-800 plane takes off from Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Christopher Pike
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane takes off from Dubai International Airport in Dubai.
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.
Air France Airbus A380
An Air France Airbus A380.

Read More:I flew on an Air France Airbus A380 2 years before the airline suddenly retired the world's largest passenger plane — here's what it was like

The four-engine aircraft are also too costly to operate at a time when every penny counts.
Air France Airbus A380
An Air France Airbus A380.
They've also been largely grounded by the few airlines still operating the A380 including British Airways...
British Airways Airbus A380
British Airways Airbus A380s.

Read More: Even more iconic planes are disappearing from the sky earlier than planned as the coronavirus continues to wreak airline havoc

Qantas...
Qantas Airbus A380
A Qantas Airbus A380.
Lufthansa...
Lufthansa Airbus A380
A Lufthansa Airbus A380.
Singapore Airlines...
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380.

Read More: Singapore Airlines is turning a parked A380 superjumbo jet into a restaurant to cater to a travel-hungry population, and the most expensive meal is over $400

And Korean Air, among others.
Korean Air A380 JFK
A Korean Air Airbus A380.

Read More: I flew 14 hours nonstop to Korea on the world's biggest passenger plane, the controversial double-decker Airbus A380 — and I already want to book another ticket

The sun is setting on the A380, but it will at least be going out in style with Emirates' new design.
Emirates Airbus A380
An Emirates Airbus A380.
Read the original article on Business Insider


Contributer : Business Insider https://ift.tt/3532OEM
Emirates just unveiled the swanky high-end design for its new Airbus A380 as most airlines say goodbye to the enormous plane - see inside Emirates just unveiled the swanky high-end design for its new Airbus A380 as most airlines say goodbye to the enormous plane - see inside Reviewed by mimisabreena on Sunday, January 03, 2021 Rating: 5

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