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

An Emirates Airbus A380.
Lukas Wunderlich/Shutterstock.com

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.
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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."

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.

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.
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.

Emirates' A380s can be found flying as far as New York, Sydney, and Hong Kong from Dubai, or as close as Muscat, Oman.

But no matter the distance, the opulence of the A380 is the same on every flight.

Case in point, Emirates offers an in-flight shower for first class passengers on the A380.

Emirates Airbus A380 shower. — An Emirates Airbus A380.
Agent Wolf/Shutterstock.com

Premium cabin customers can also visit the in-flight bar on the A380's upper deck.

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.
Emirates

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.

Source: Emirates

Here's what the seats look like on current A380s.

The soft color palette resembles the desert landscape of the UAE and seats come complete with heather adjustable headrests.

Source: Emirates

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

Source: Emirates

Along the cabin walls are new wood finishes, a key theme in the redesign, surrounding the windows.

Source: Emirates

The seat-back screens are the same size as those in economy at 13.3 inches...

Source: Emirates

And the folding tray tables have the same wood finishes.

Source: Emirates

A key feature of premium economy is the recliner seats and they come with a leg and foot rest.

Source: Emirates

And that's just the first floor, the business class and first class cabins are located on the second floor.

Source: Emirates

Business class seats now feature champagne-color finishes and more wood paneling.

Source: Emirates

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

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.

Source: Emirates

First class passengers will notice more wood paneling in the shower spa and more modern touches.

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.

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.
Reuters

It's currently flying test flights around the Pacific Northwest in preparation for certification.

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.