And while other airlines have moved to discard the A380 during the pandemic due to its high operating costs, Emirates – an early adopter of the aircraft – still has nothing but praise for it. “It’s palatial,” Emirates president said Tim Clark. “And people absolutely love it. They still go out of their way to get on the 380.”

Here’s a look inside one of Emirates’ new Airbus A380s.

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Emirates’ A380s can be found flying as far as New York, Sydney or Hong Kong from Dubai, or as close as Muscat, Oman. But no matter the distance, the opulence of the A380 is the same on every flight. Case in point: Emirates offers an in-flight shower for first class passengers on the A380. Premium cabin customers can also visit the in-flight bar on the A380’s upper deck.

And now it’s time for an upgrade, starting with installing ergonomically designed economy seats throughout the entire 338-seat cabin. Emirates calls them game-changer seats and says they’re lighter with no sacrifice of comfort. They’ll also feature new 34cm (13.3-inch) in-flight entertainment screens and have tray tables complete with wood finishes.

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The soft colour palette resembles the desert landscape of the UAE and seats come complete with leather adjustable headrests. The new A380s also feature Emirates’ first premium economy cabin with 56 recliner seats in a standard two-four-two configuration. Along the cabin walls are new wood finishes – a key theme in the redesign – surrounding the windows.

The seat-back screens are the same size as those in economy at 34cm …

And the folding tray tables have the same wood finishes. A key feature of premium economy is the recliner seats that come with a leg and foot rest.

And that’s just the first floor; the business class and first class cabins are located on the second floor.

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Business class seats now feature champagne-colour finishes and more wood panelling. First class is also receiving wider suites with taller doors for more privacy. The in-flight bar is getting an upgrade, as well, with new seating areas and a more luxurious colour palette similar to what’s found in business class.

First class passengers will notice more wood panelling in the shower spa and more modern touches.

No other existing aircraft will receive the premium economy cabin, but Emirates says it will opt for the cabin on a future arrival, the Boeing 777X. The world’s largest twin-engined jet is expected to be delivered to Emirates in 2023. It’s currently flying test flights around the Pacific northwest in preparation for certification.

Emirates is considering retrofitting its existing A380 fleet to the new standard, but the company has to weigh whether it’s worth the investment for a plane whose days are numbered.

Airbus will stop producing the A380 in 2021 after its final delivery to Emirates. The final fuselage has already arrived in Toulouse, France, where Airbus pieces together the A380. Clark said that the aircraft will hopefully fly for another decade. Emirates has over 100 A380s in its fleet at the moment.

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Air France retired its A380 fleet after just 11 years, citing the pandemic as the reason since it couldn’t fill the 516-seat aircraft any more. The four-engine aircrafts are also too costly to operate at a time when every penny counts.

The sun is setting on the A380, but it will at least be going out in style with Emirates’ new design.

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