Emirates Introduces Premium Economy Boeing 777 to South Africa

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has launched its first retrofitted Boeing 777 to Johannesburg (JNB) and Cape Town (CPT), introducing its Premium Economy cabin to South Africa for the first time. The airline marked this event with guided tours in both cities, showcasing the refreshed interiors and upgraded cabin designs to government representatives, aviation leaders, and tourism stakeholders.

Emirates’ Commitment to South Africa

The deployment highlights Emirates’ ongoing dedication to South Africa, where it has served for three decades. Prominent industry figures were present at the launch, including Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro; Poppy Khoza, Director General of the South African Civil Aviation Authority; Rashid Alardha, Emirates’ Vice President Commercial Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa; and Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager for Southern Africa.

Afzal Parambil expressed the airline’s dedication: “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 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.”

Revamped 4 Class Experience

The updated Boeing 777 features modern design elements, including new color palettes and Ghaf Tree patterns, with wood finishes across all cabins. The aircraft configuration includes:

260 Economy seats: Redesigned with ocean blue interiors, high ceilings, generous legroom, and new generation seats.
24 Premium Economy seats: Debuting in South Africa, these include wide leather reclining seats with full leg and footrests, adjustable headrests, wood finished cocktail tables, charging ports, and 13.3-inch HD screens. Passengers receive pillows, blankets, amenity kits on select flights, and Chandon Vintage Brut 2017 sparkling wine service.
38 Business Class seats: Configured in a 1-2-1 layout for aisle access and privacy, featuring champagne colored leather seats like Emirates’ latest A380 cabins.
Eight First Class Suites: Continues its “hotel in the sky” reputation, now with enhanced finishes.

Emirates’ Retrofit Program

Launched in November 2022, Emirates’ $5 billion retrofit program is one of the largest in commercial aviation, involving 219 Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s with comprehensive nose-to-tail upgrades. Carried out by Emirates Engineering, over 270 engineers and technicians dedicate more than 1,800 man-hours daily per aircraft. So far, 67 aircraft, including 35 Boeing 777s and 32 A380s, have been retrofitted.

The program, upon completion, will provide: