Emirates has been hard at work in the past months and years to renovate its fleet. Along with receiving brand new Airbus A350s the airline has undertaken a massive retrofitting effort on both its Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 fleets. The goal of this undertaking is to bring the new and updated Business and Premium Economy classes onboard all its planes. As more retrofitted aircraft return to service we also see more deployed across the fleet. Let’s then talk about the next destination to welcome Emirates flights with the new cabin interiors.
Vienna Next On The List – Emirates to Commence Flights With New Interiors
Yes, that’s right, the next destination to be served by Emirates’ retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs will be Vienna International Airport. The Austrian airport is a strategic destination as it not only serves as the country’s main airport, but also as a gateway to many destinations in Eastern Europe. Therefore it makes a whole lot of sense for Emirates to prioritize such a destination, which among other things is also a Lufthansa Group Hub. Therefore EK is also looking to attract passengers away from the German lead group by bringing its A-Game on Vienna to Dubai Flights.
At the moment Emirates’ plan is to start serving flights from Dubai to Vienna with the newly retrofitted Boeing 777 on January 3rd 2024. However, that date might be even closer if the aircraft exits the MRO facility ahead of schedule. Flight EK125 is the one to receive the upgrade. That is the evening service from Dubai, as the other second daily flight is remains A380-operated.
What Does The New Emirates Business Class Offer?
Well I must be honest, I’ve said it before, I’m not all that impressed with the new Emirates business class. I think the airline is riding the wave of its massively strong brand and sitting on the laurels a bit. There is little to no innovation introduced on the new Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 business class. All the airline has done is align a product which was way out of date, the old 2-3-2 business class setup, with what is currently offered on the Airbus A380 fleet. All that will be achieved is consistency across the fleet.
With all of that out of the way, the Emirates new business class, which is on a growing number of Boeing 777s and on all newly delivered A350s is set up with a 1-2-1 configuration. Rows alternate with seats closer to the aisle or the window on the sides and close to each other or separated in the central row. Each seat fully reclines into a flat bed and comes with its very own minibar. Just as on all other Emirates business class products faux wood is heavily present across the cabin.