Emirates Introduces Retrofitted Boeing 777 to South Africa
After deploying the retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft to Cape Town and Johannesburg last month, Emirates organized a guided tour of the upgraded planes. During this event, the airline showcased its redesigned cabins, including the introduction of the Premium Economy Cabin to South Africa for the first time. Johannesburg and Cape Town are the inaugural destinations in Africa to be served by the retrofitted Emirates Boeing 777, highlighting the airline’s ongoing commitment to the South African market.
Stakeholders from South Africa’s aviation and tourism sectors attended the event. They included Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro in Cape Town; Poppy Khoza, Director General of the South African Civil Aviation Authority in Johannesburg; Rashid Alardha, Vice President of Commercial Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa at Emirates; and Afzal Parambil, Regional Manager for Southern Africa at Emirates.
Commenting on the deployment, Afzal Parambil said, “As we celebrate three decades of service to South Africa, our commitment to bring the latest and greatest to the market is unwavering. Over the years, we have built strong relationships with our customers and are proud to have a very high percentage of repeat passengers, particularly on long-haul travel to destinations in the Far East and Europe. The deployment of our refurbished Boeing 777 – our first in Africa – will further elevate the experience for these passengers, with the introduction of Premium Economy and our new Business Class experience. We look forward to welcoming travellers from South Africa on the refreshed Emirates Boeing 777 soon.”
Upgraded Boeing 777 Cabin Features
The four-class Emirates Boeing 777 includes refreshed interiors with updated colour palettes, Ghaf Tree motifs, and wood finishes across all cabins. The aircraft is fitted with 260 Economy seats, 24 Premium Economy seats, 38 Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, and eight First Class Suites.
Economy Class features a new interior with higher ceilings, updated seats, and increased legroom.
Premium Economy offers leather reclining seats with leg and footrests, adjustable headrests, in-seat charging points, a wood-finished cocktail table, a 13.3-inch screen, and amenity kits on select flights.
Business Class has a redesigned layout with privacy, aisle access, and champagne-coloured leather seats similar to the latest Emirates A380.
First Class Suites provide privacy and comfort with updated interiors.
Retrofit Programme
Launched in November 2022, Emirates’ $5 billion retrofit program focuses on upgrading its A380 and Boeing 777 fleets. The project is managed by Emirates Engineering, with over 270 engineers and technicians assigned to each aircraft. So far, 67 aircraft have been retrofitted, including 32 A380s and 35 Boeing 777s.
Upon completion, Emirates will have installed 8,512 Premium Economy seats, refreshed 2,034 First-Class suites, upgraded 12,720 Business Class seats with new configurations, and overhauled 68,364 Economy Class seats.
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