Emirates has bid farewell to its last B777-200.
The move is particularly welcome news for business class travellers as the B777-200 was one of the last few aircraft to feature Emirates’ old angle-flat seats.
The Gulf carrier is also progressively phasing out old A340-500s, with the last flight scheduled for September 2015.
Upon retirement of the A340-500, the only aircraft to feature angle-flat seats will be the A340-300, which will take over flights to Kabul from October 1.
“So far, in 2014 and 2015 we have phased out three B777-200s and eight A340-500s on schedule, which is no mean feat in itself. For the year 2015/2016, we’re planning a total of 10 phaseouts,” says Philip Audsley, Emirates’ manager, aircraft assets.
The gap in the fleet will be replaced by 26 new aircraft, to be delivered later this year. This will consists of a mix of A380s and B777-300ERs, of which Emirates is the largest single operator.
Retired aircraft will either be returned to the lessor, or placed on the market for sale at a cutdown price.
For more information, visit emirates.com
Clement Huang
