Emirates welcomes its first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa

Following the advanced deployment of the retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft to both Cape Town and Johannesburg last month, Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, hosted a guided tour of the fully refreshed aircraft. The airline showcased its next-generation cabins, featuring the latest sophisticated design and South Africa’s debut of the highly acclaimed Premium Economy Cabin. Johannesburg and Cape Town are the first destinations in Africa to be served by the retrofitted Emirates Boeing 777, demonstrating the airline’s steadfast commitment to South Africa.

Key stakeholders from South Africa’s aviation and tourism sectors were in attendance, including Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro in Cape Town and Poppy Khoza, Director General South African Civil Aviation Authority in Johannesburg, along with Rashid Alardha, Emirates’ Vice President Commercial Operations, Sub-Saharan Africaand Afzal Parambil, Regional Manager for Southern Africa, 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.”

A closer look at the refreshed Boeing 777

The refurbished four-class Emirates Boeing 777 features upgraded interiors with new design elements, including modern colour palettes, specially designed Ghaf Tree motifs, and wood finishes across all cabins. Each aircraft includes 260 latest generation Economy seats, 24 of the popular Premium Economy seats, 38 Business Class seats in 1-2-1 configuration and eight First Class Suites.

Economy Class is decked out with a calming ocean blue interior, and high ceilings, giving a greater sense of space and light. The cabin features the latest generation seats with generous legroom, to ensure comfort is the top priority.

The highlight is Emirates Premium Economy, introducing the much-lauded cabin to South Africa for the first time. Making luxury travel more accessible to a wider audience, Premium Economy offers an experience similar to Business Class on many airlines, with spacious leather reclining seats with full leg and footrests and adjustable headrests. It features in-seat charging points, a wood-finished side cocktail table, a 13.3-inch TV screen, a generously sized pillow and blanket, complimentary amenity kits on select flights and a globally exclusive sparkling wine - Chandon Vintage Brut 2017.

Emirates’ Boeing 777 Business Class cabin has also been redesigned, with seats set-up in a 1-2-1 arrangement to offer privacy, aisle access and space to work, lounge and indulge in restorative rest. Each seat is wrapped in champagne leather, matching the ones on the latest Emirates A380, with detailed stitching and soft cushioned headrests.

 Described as a hotel room in the sky, Emirates’ First Class Suites maintain the highest levels of comfort, privacy and luxury that passengers have come to expect from Emirates and now offer refreshed interiors.

Emirates’ retrofit programme

First initiated in November 2022, Emirates’ USD $5 billion dollar retrofit programme is one of the largest known programmes in the industry, with 219 A380s and Boeing 777s slated for nose-to-tail upgrades to enhance the onboard experience for passengers.

The monumental project is handled entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering, with over 270 engineers and technicians work round the clock, devoting over 1,800 manhours each day to bring each aircraft to impeccable completion. To date, 67 aircraft have rolled out of Emirates Engineering – 32 A380s and 35 Boeing 777s.

Once complete, Emirates will have installed 8,512 next-generation Premium Economy seats, 2,034 refreshed First-Class suites, 12,720 upgraded Business Class seats with entirely new configurations, and thoughtfully overhauled 68,364 Economy Class seats.