Middle East Carrier Enhances Long-Haul Experience with New Cabin Product
Emirates has announced that it will expand its Premium Economy cabin to 10 additional cities across its network, while launching extra daily frequencies to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town. The airline said that the expansion forms part of its fleet retrofit program, which will see Premium Economy available on more than 84 routes by July 1, 2026. Emirates will operate its latest A350 aircraft on new daily services from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) starting June 1, 2026 and to both Phuket International Airport (HKT) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) from July 1, 2026. For Phuket, the third daily frequency offers an early morning arrival optimized for passengers connecting from European cities including Manchester, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Frankfurt, as well as Kuwait and Bahrain. Return connections serve European and Middle Eastern gateways including Madrid, Munich, Birmingham, Brussels and Zurich. The Cape Town frequency addresses consistently high load factors on the route, particularly during peak periods, with optimized connections to London, Dublin, Mumbai, Brussels, Australasia and Asian markets. According to Emirates, its Premium Economy cabin product will launch across multiple regions through the first half of 2026: Europe and North America: Barcelona and Mexico City to receive retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft from February 2026, with Rome transitioning to A350 operations from March 29, 2026. Asia: Cochin will see Premium Economy on select flights starting January 29, 2026, while Karachi transitions to the three-class configuration from March 1, 2026. Taipei shifts to retrofitted B777s in mid-March 2026, before receiving A350 service from May 1, 2026. Australia: Brisbane to add a second Premium Economy service from March 29, 2026 using retrofitted B777-300ERs, complementing the existing A380 service. Middle East: Basra, Kuwait City, and Tehran will all receive Premium Economy-equipped aircraft between late January and March 2026, with Kuwait City transitioning to A350 operations from May 1. Africa: Addis Ababa set to receive retrofitted 777-200LR aircraft from March 1, 2026. The phased deployment allows Emirates to introduce consistent Premium Economy service across long-haul routes while meeting anticipated summer travel demand, with additional capacity on key leisure and business destinations. Emirates’ Premium Economy offers passengers extra legroom, enhanced dining options, and dedicated amenities positioned between the carrier’s Economy and Business Class products.