Emirates has quietly confirmed that it will take delivery of the first aircraft fitted with its new premium economy product this month.

The news was included in a press release regarding the carrier receiving three new A380s in December, with a line stating that one of the aircraft “will feature its long-awaited signature Premium Economy product”.

No details have been given regarding the seat or the exact launch of the product, although Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said in the release that “We look forward to introducing our Premium Economy experience on which will make its debut on an A380 in the coming months”.

Business Traveller reported back in 2016 that the carrier was planning a premium economy cabin, and the airline had been expected to launch the new seat this year, before the onset of Covid-19 pushed back these plans.

Emirates “postpones premium economy launch”

Emirates will be the first of the three major Middle Eastern carriers to launch a premium economy product.

Meanwhile the first of the three superjumbos to be delivered to Emirates this month arrived at the weekend powered by “a blend of conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel”.

It is the carrier’s 116th A380, with the aircraft currently operating on a reduced number of routes including Cairo, Amman, Paris, London, Guangzhou, Manchester and Moscow.

“The A380 has been a success story for Emirates, and this is reflected in the strong customer interest wherever we’ve deployed the aircraft over the years,” said Clark.

“The A380 has helped us efficiently serve customer demand at slot constrained airports and also on trunk routes, supporting our long-haul hub operations. Importantly, with the space and technology on this aircraft, we’ve been able to introduce new concepts onboard that have transformed the flying experience for the better.

“We look forward to introducing our Premium Economy experience on which will make its debut on an A380 in the coming months, and we will continue to invest in our world-class A380 product experience. The A380 will remain our flagship for the next decade, and we will re-deploy it on more routes as travel demand returns.”

emirates.com