Airline News

Emirates signals the demise of the "middle seat" in Business Class

Emirates has announced that a new Business Class cabin - with new seats - will be retrofitted into its Boeing 777 fleet - changing the seat configuration to “1-2-1”.

The Dubai-based airline says that 81 aircraft of its 777 fleet will receive the new cabin - which will arrive in late 2025. 110 of its Airbus A380s will also benefit from the upgrade.

The main advantage for Business Class passengers will be the “loss” of the middle seat. Emirates Business Class currently runs a 2-3-2 layout meaning that one passenger - in the middle seat - does not have access to the aisle. 

The 777s will feature four classes - a refreshed First Class of eight suites, 40 Business Class seats and 24 of the Emirates Premium Economy seats. 

The airline has retrofitted over 20 A380s to date. Each 777 takes two weeks to retrofit. 

Airlines News - Emirates signals the demise of the "middle seat" in Business Class
Boeing 777/Airbus A380 and A350 will “share” the same Business Class seat and 1-2-1 configuration

When the entire project is complete, Emirates will boast 11,182 upgraded Business Class seats, nearly 2,000 refreshed First Class suites and over 8,100 next-generation Premium Economy seats.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “We’re topping up our multi-billion dollar investment in the retrofit programme to introduce cutting-edge cabin products on more of our A380s and Boeing 777s, demonstrating a clear commitment to elevating the customer experience with a best-in-class suite of products across every cabin. The addition of more aircraft fitted with our newest generation seats, updated cabin finishings and a contemporary colour palette also marks a significant step in ensuring more customers can consistently experience our premium products across both aircraft types.”

Airlines News - Emirates signals the demise of the "middle seat" in Business Class
Current 2-3-2 … not popular

Emirates has also announced the destinations for the 10 new A350s that will enter service in September this year. Featuring 32 new Business Class seats, 21 in Premium Economy and the rest in an enhanced Economy Class, the aircraft will fly on short and medium haul routes in the Middle East and GCC, West Asia and Europe - including Edinburgh, Bologna and Bahrain.

Emirates new Business Class and First Class amenities

Read the BusinessClass.com review of the Business Class experience on Emirates

Read the BusinessClass.com review of the First Class experience on Emirates

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