Emirates Expands Premium Economy Network With A350 and Retrofitted Aircraft Deployment
Emirates will continue the rollout of its retrofitted Boeing 777 and new Airbus A350 aircraft across key destinations in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia, thereby extending the availability of Premium Economy and updated onboard products to more cities worldwide.
The airline will deploy its A350 aircraft on new daily services to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town, adding extra frequencies and improving connectivity for travellers. These additional services are planned to support increased capacity during the summer travel period.
By 1 July, Emirates plans to operate Premium Economy-equipped Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and A350 aircraft on more than 84 routes. The Premium Economy cabin includes increased seat pitch, upgraded dining service and additional onboard amenities, positioned between Business and Economy Class.
Additional capacity to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town
From 1 June, Emirates will introduce a second daily service between Dubai and Copenhagen, while third daily services to Phuket and Cape Town will commence from 1 July. All three routes will be operated using the airline’s A350 aircraft, featuring Premium Economy, Business Class and Economy Class cabins.
Dubai–Copenhagen: Flight EK153 will depart Dubai at 14:50, arriving in Copenhagen at 19:45. The return flight EK154 will depart Copenhagen at 21:35, arriving in Dubai at 05:55 the following day. The schedule is designed to support onward connections via Dubai to destinations in East Asia, South Asia and Africa, as well as inbound connections from cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Dubai–Phuket: From 1 July, flight EK390 will depart Dubai at 22:40, arriving in Phuket at 08:10 the next day, with return flight EK391 departing Phuket at 10:00 and arriving in Dubai at 13:05. The service supports connections from Europe and the Middle East, as well as onward travel from Phuket to European and regional destinations.
Dubai–Cape Town: From 1 July, flight EK778 will depart Dubai at 10:25, arriving in Cape Town at 18:05, with return flight EK779 departing at 20:00 and arriving in Dubai at 07:25 the following morning. The additional frequency is intended to support both leisure and business travel demand, with connections to Europe, Asia and Australasia.
Emirates’ Cape Town route has seen sustained demand, particularly during peak travel periods, with continued growth in GCC traffic and steady outbound demand to Europe and North America.
Additional A350 and Premium Economy route plans
Emirates will also introduce its A350 aircraft on services to Rome from 29 March and to Taipei from 1 May.
Planned Premium Economy deployments across the network include:
Europe & North America
Barcelona and Mexico City: Retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft on select services from February
Rome: A350 operations from 29 March
Copenhagen: Second daily A350 service from 1 June
Asia
Cochin: Selected weekly services operated by retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR
Karachi: Daily retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR service from 1 March
Taipei: Transition from Boeing 777-200LR to A350 from 1 May
Phuket: Third daily service from 1 July
Australia
Brisbane: Retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER services from 29 March
Africa
Addis Ababa: Daily retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR services from 1 March
Cape Town: Third daily A350 service from 1 July 2026
Middle East
Basra, Kuwait City and Tehran: Aircraft upgrades to retrofitted Boeing 777 or A350 on select routes between January and May
Tickets for Emirates flights, including Premium Economy services, are available via emirates.com, the Emirates App, travel agents and Emirates retail outlets.
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