Multi-Million Dollar Inflight Improvements for Emirates Airline

Dubai-based airline, Emirates, is launching a multi-million dollar programme to improve its passengers inflight travel experience.

This massive investment will see Emirates introduce an enhanced version of its First Class private suites; lie-flat massage seats in Business Class with more personal space; Economy Class seats with extra legroom; and larger personal TV screens in all classes; across its rapidly-expanding long-haul Boeing 777 fleet.

The new onboard product will make its first appearance on Emirates' Boeing 777-300ER ULR (Ultra Long Range) aircraft being delivered this month, and its 777-200LRs – the first of which will be delivered in August 2007.

Over the next 18 months, Emirates will receive 24 new aircraft fitted with this new product. It will also be implementing an aggressive programme to retrofit its existing Boeing 777 long-haul fleet.

Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said, “To put the scale of our investment into perspective – in the next 18 months, we will spend about AED 180 million just to install our enhanced First Class product onboard the brand new aircraft we are receiving – this figure does not include the enhancements in other classes of travel, or the retrofit programme.

“We are also close to announcing another multi-million dollar enhancement to our hugely-popular ‘ice’ inflight entertainment system.”

Emirates’ First Class private suites were first introduced in 2003. Amongst the suite’s key features are: a fully-flat bed with in-seat massage, dine-on-demand room service, in-suite personal mini bar, and sliding doors for the ultimate in privacy.

The airline has now worked closely with aircraft and seat manufacturers to provide a "corporate jet quality” feel to the First Class cabin. The enhanced Emirates First Class private suites are larger with extended floor space, more stowage room for hand baggage and a bigger personal wardrobe within the suite. It also features fine leather upholstery and a luxurious honey walnut finish. A high cabin ceiling (sans overhead bins) adds to the sense of space, and travellers can also relax at the new communal First Class bar area.

On Emirates Business Class, the multi-zone massage seats recline to a 78” long lie-flat bed, providing ample room for taller passengers. The seats ensure maximum personal space with high privacy dividers, and allow all passengers to recline fully without encroaching on the space of the traveller seated in the row behind.

In Economy Class, Emirates’ new generation seats are designed to provide more legroom and comfort. The seats come with a fully adjustable winged headrest, wide flat footrest and articulated seat bottom pan for greater comfort. The introduction of the latest inflight entertainment system onboard also removes the need for boxes underneath seats, thus increasing legroom in Economy.

Emirates’ signature ‘ice’ inflight entertainment will be available in all classes, allowing passengers to tune into over 600 channels of entertainment-on-demand. The latest movies and music albums will be dished up on digital wide-screen LCD touch screens which are amongst the largest in the skies - 23” in First Class; 17” in Business Class; and 10.6” in Economy.

In a three-class configuration, Emirates’ new Boeing 777-300ERs (ULR) will offer eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business, and 304 seats in Economy; and its 777-200LRs will have eight First Class private suites, 42 lie-flat seats in Business, and 216 seats in Economy.

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