Emirates is all set to introduce a new business class configuration on board its Boeing 777 ER aircraft, which will fly out after a retrofit in mid-August 2024. That means the long-disliked 2-3-2 configuration will be on its way out.

Emirates to initiate the introduction of new 1-2-1 Business Class on Boeing 777 aircraft

With the delivery and entry-in-service timelines of the Boeing 777X for Emirates unknown, Emirates has committed to a massive retrofit programme for 191 aircraft, including 67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777 aircraft, internally known as Project Phoenix. The airline has committed USD 3 billion for the project. LiveFromALounge had the opportunity to tour the Emirates Engineering Centre in November 2023, when the retrofit of the A380 aircraft was ongoing.

Emirates has now started retrofitting its first Boeing 777 aircraft, which will involve stripping out all the interiors and installing new seats where needed.

Starting July 1, the first Emirates Boeing 777 will undergo a nose-to-tail cabin interior facelift, which will take approximately two weeks before the aircraft goes back into service. Plans include refurbishing the First Class cabin and installing 38 new Business Class seats in an updated 1-2-1 seating configuration (down from the current 42 seats), 24 of the latest Premium Economy seats, and 256 Economy Class seats.

Boeing 777s to sport 1-2-1 configuration after retrofit

All Business Class seats on the newly refurbished Boeing 777 focus on personalised privacy and elevated comfort, converting to a comfortable flat bed, with 20.7-inch wide seats pitched up to 44 inches apart. The staggered seating arrangement will ensure aisle access for every seat, with direct entry and exit for customers.

The seat is accentuated with a touch-screen seat controller for in-flight entertainment and seat operation, a personal 23-inch HD screen, one of the biggest in the skies, linked to the airline’s award-winning ice entertainment system, a personal mini-bar, a large table, ample stowage for personal devices, charging outlets, and much more.

The Boeing 777 Business Class cabin will also include a small bar where customers can quickly grab mid-flight snacks and refreshments.

The exact name of the seat platform is unknown, as is the join up with the current trend of having privacy doors on board. However, Emirates’ preferred seating supplier, Safran, whose products adorn the A380, has the Unity platform on the market, which will be fitted up on Qantas’ A350s and Air India’s retrofit.

In total, 81 Boeing 777s will be refurbished as part of Emirates’ investment in its retrofit programme, and more destinations to be served with the airline’s latest products will be announced over the next few months.

Emirates to fly the new 777 product effective August 11, 2024

Emirates has unveiled the first cities on its network to be served with its newest Boeing 777 cabin interiors. The airline plans to introduce its refurbished B777s to Geneva, Tokyo Haneda, and Brussels, offering customers more opportunities to experience the airline’s signature Premium Economy on this aircraft and, for the first time, Emirates’ next-generation Business Class seats, set in a new 1-2-1 configuration.

Here is the seat map for the new product.

The first upgraded Emirates Boeing 777 products will operate on the following services:

• EK 83/84 to and from Geneva from August 11
• EK 312/313 to and from Tokyo Haneda from September 1
• EK 183/184 to and from Brussels from September 11

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates Airline, said:

With the addition of the newly retrofitted Boeing 777s to our fleet, we’re capturing the opportunity to introduce our highly acclaimed products like Premium Economy to more cities already served by this aircraft type in our network, in addition to more seating variety in four classes.

He added,

Borrowing inspiration from our flagship A380 in every cabin, our Boeing 777 with revamped interiors boast the very best in customer comfort and will feature modern design details and signature cabin finishings, with a new Business Class cabin that provides more privacy for our customers, in addition to other thoughtful touches that underscore our exceptional value proposition. Our investment and intense focus on offering the best possible product across every cabin class also ensures we provide a consistent experience on both the Boeing 777s and A380s.

Bottomline

Emirates will put its first Boeing 777 aircraft into retrofit, and it will come back with a new 1-2-1 configured business class seat and a new premium economy product on board once the plane exits the retrofit process. The process will be repeated 81 times until 81 Boeing 777 aircraft are installed in the new configuration. The first destinations for the latest interiors will be Geneva (August 11), Tokyo Haneda (September 1) and Brussels (September 11).

What do you think of Emirates’ plans to launch their new business class?

---

Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.

(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. For international transactions, use Paypal to process the transaction.)

We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.