Gulf carrier Emirates on Thursday said it is set to roll out the fourth cabin class — premium economy — on its A380 flights to Mumbai and Bengaluru, starting October 29.
Emirates currently operates its A380 and Boeing 777s on Indian routes in a three-class configuration — first, business and economy.
It has already launched premium economy on some of its A380 flights on non-India routes last August. It is now being launched in India as well.
When the new cabin class debuts on the airline’s A380 flights later this month, Emirates will be the first Middle East carrier operating in Mumbai to offer such services, it said.
The aircraft, featuring premium economy cabins and operating as EK506, arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for a preview.
“Emirates’ premium economy has revolutionised travel for a growing segment of travellers looking to enhance their flying experience. We’ve received an immense response from customers, who have opted to trade up to this class of travel,” said Mohammad Sarhan, Vice President for India and Nepal at Emirates.
“In line with the demand we have seen on the ten routes (globally) where the product is already available, we anticipate it will be highly popular in India as well,” he added.
With the ongoing surge in travel across the airline’s network, the premium economy class allows passengers to savour the perfect blend of luxury and affordability, he said, adding that “as we incorporate premium economy cabins across a growing number of aircraft, we hope to extend this option on more routes”.
Premium Economy cabins on the Emirates A380 feature 56 plush cream leather seats at the front of the main deck and are laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration.
The new cabin class provides seats with a generous recline and more legroom, among others.
Emirates said it has undertaken one of the largest-ever fleet retrofitting initiatives with plans to revamp 67 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777 aircraft.
Along with offering a refreshed look, the project will see the installation of nearly 4,000 premium economy seats across 120 aircraft, it said.
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