Retrofitted cabins on Emirates Boeing 777
By Staff Writer
Johannesburg – 19 September 2025: Emirates has introduced its first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa, with guided tours of the aircraft held in Cape Town and Johannesburg this week. The upgraded aircraft includes new interiors and South Africa’s first premium economy cabin.
Key figures from the aviation and tourism sectors attended the showcase, including Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, and Poppy Khoza, Director-General of the South African Civil Aviation Authority.
Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager for Southern Africa, said the upgrade marks a milestone for the airline’s service in the country.
“As we celebrate three decades of service to South Africa, our commitment to bring the latest and greatest to the market is unwavering,” Parambil said. “The deployment of our refurbished Boeing 777 – our first in Africa – will further elevate the experience for passengers, with the introduction of Premium Economy and our new Business Class experience.”
The refurbished four-class Boeing 777 features:
260 Economy seats with modern design and extra space,
24 Premium Economy seats, offering reclining leather seats, footrests, 13.3-inch TV screens and exclusive sparkling wine,
38 redesigned Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 layout, and
8 private first-class suites with refreshed interiors.
The retrofit forms part of Emirates’ USD $5 billion global upgrade programme, which began in 2022. To date, 67 aircraft – 32 Airbus A380s and 35 Boeing 777s – have been refurbished. The project is carried out in-house by Emirates Engineering, with over 270 engineers and technicians working daily.
Emirates said the programme will eventually upgrade 219 aircraft, adding over 8,500 Premium Economy seats and modernising Business, First and Economy cabins across its fleet.
Johannesburg and Cape Town are the first African destinations to be served by the refurbished Boeing 777.
