Dubai’s leading airline, Emirates, has announced plans to increase its premium economy seat capacity to 2 million by the conclusion of 2025, according to a senior executive.
“We currently offer approximately 1 million premium economy seats, and this figure is projected to double by the end of 2025. This positions us favorably in the premium economy segment,” stated Adnan Kazim, the Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates.
Kazim highlighted that the airline’s decision to expand premium economy seating is driven by strong market demand.
“The initial response to our premium economy product has been very positive. Passengers appreciate the enhanced privacy, and we are witnessing a growing trend of travelers upgrading from standard economy to premium economy. Instead of affecting business class sales, premium economy addresses the preferences of corporate customers,” he explained to journalists following a press conference about the upcoming Arabian Travel Market 2025.
Moreover, Kazim noted that Emirates is set to acquire between 12 and 15 Airbus A350 aircraft by the end of summer.
“This aircraft has a total capacity of 312 seats across three classes: Economy, Premium Economy, and Business. This setup allows for flexible route deployment and enables flights to several secondary regional markets,” Kazim elaborated.
Currently, Emirates has already welcomed four Airbus A350s into its fleet.
Looking ahead to phase two after summer, Kazim indicated that the A350 would be utilized on ultra-long-haul routes, with specific destinations to be revealed soon.
He mentioned that while long-haul flights will feature three classes, they may have slightly different seating arrangements.
“The aircraft are capable of flying to a variety of destinations, from the United States to Australia,” Kazim remarked during the Arabian Travel Market press briefing in Dubai.
As the largest airline globally in terms of international passenger numbers, Emirates has already identified several routes for the A350 and is actively operating flights to locations including Edinburgh, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India (Ahmedabad and Mumbai).
“We’re also expanding to destinations like Tunisia, among others… Several regional markets are well-suited to accommodate the A350’s capacity,” he added.