100 aircraft, 44 months and 4.4 million man hours: Emirates’ retrofit programme marks major milestone

Emirates has reached a landmark 100 aircraft refurbished under its retrofit programme, the largest known undertaken by any airline globally.

The Milestone
- 100 aircraft completed: 47 Airbus A380s + 53 Boeing 777s.
- Timeline: 44 months, averaging 28 aircraft per year.
- Workforce: 400+ engineers and technicians, contributing 4.4 million man hours.
- Investment: Part of a US$5 billion programme, the largest known retrofit initiative by any airline.

Customer Experience Upgrades
- Premium Economy rollout: Over 3,800 seats installed, expanding access across Emirates’ network.
- Cabin refresh: Each aircraft stripped down and rebuilt with 4,000+ parts for A380s and 2,500+ for 777s.
- Future phase (Oct 2026): Introduction of 4K OLED HDR10+ seatback screens and Safran Z400 lightweight seats.

Engineering Ingenuity
- Modified catering trucks repurposed to move large components inside hangars.
- Custom-built equipment designed to access every part of the aircraft interior.
- Collaboration with 100+ suppliers to deliver parts and solutions.

Sustainability
- Materials upcycled into collector items under the Aircrafted by Emirates range.
- 4,000+ backpacks made from repurposed seat fabric distributed to children in 11 countries.

Sir Tim Clark summed it up perfectly: Emirates has “rewritten the rulebook on retrofitting the two largest passenger aircraft in commercial aviation.”