Emirates: The first converted A380 takes off

The first Emirates A380 to receive a full overhaul as part of the airline's $2 billion conversion program began operating on 6 January 2023 as EK003 on the Dubai-London Heathrow route.

A pair of  Time Lapse Video gives an insight into the conversion work on the A6 EVM, the first of 120 Emirates aircraft that will undergo the retrofit programme. The fully renewed A380 features the latest equipment in all cabin classes, including 56 seats in Premium Economy Class on the main deck, as well as new color palettes in the carpeting and wall coverings. On the upper deck, First and Business Class seats feature new cream leather upholstery and lighter wood finishes.

The next A380 to undergo the conversion program will be the A6-EUW. The work is expected to be completed by the end of January 2023. In the further course of the program, two aircraft will be renovated at the same time. According to the airline, one aircraft from the fleet is taken out of service every eight days and transferred to Emirates Engineering's facilities. By 2024, all 67 A380s scheduled for overhaul are scheduled to return to service. After that, Emirates will begin work on the 53 Boeing 777s earmarked for this project. The airline expects the program to be completed in 2025.