Emirates expands Premium Economy to 10 new cities
New A350 frequencies target peak summer travel demand
DUBAI – Emirates is accelerating the expansion of its Premium Economy offering as it continues to roll out retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft and its new-generation A350s across key destinations worldwide.
The airline has confirmed that Premium Economy will be introduced to 10 new cities and extended to additional flights on two existing routes, significantly broadening access to its upgraded cabin and latest onboard products. The move comes as Emirates layers on capacity ahead of a projected surge in summer travel demand.
As part of the expansion, Emirates will deploy its A350 aircraft on new daily services to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town, adding extra frequencies on all three routes. These additional flights will complement existing schedules, offering customers greater choice, improved connectivity and a consistent premium experience across cabins. By 1 July, the airline expects Premium Economy-equipped aircraft to be operating on more than 84 routes across its global network.
Passengers travelling in Premium Economy can expect extra legroom, enhanced seating, upgraded dining and added amenities, positioned between Economy and Business Class. Emirates is deploying the product across its A380 fleet as well as selected Boeing 777 and A350 aircraft, with the interiors standardised to ensure a uniform experience regardless of aircraft type.
Additional flights and capacity
From 1 June, Emirates will introduce a second daily service between Dubai and Copenhagen, while a third daily service to Phuket and a third daily frequency to and from Cape Town will be added from 1 July. All three additional services will be operated using the airline’s A350 aircraft, featuring Premium Economy alongside the latest Business and Economy Class cabins.
The second daily Copenhagen service will operate as EK153, departing Dubai at 14:50hrs and arriving in the Danish capital at 19:45hrs. The return flight, EK154, will depart Copenhagen at 21:35hrs, arriving in Dubai at 05:55hrs the following day. The timings have been designed to offer seamless onward connections via Dubai to East Asian destinations including Bangkok, Bali, Manila, Tokyo Haneda and Phuket, as well as to Colombo and Male. The service also opens up new links to African cities such as Nairobi and Entebbe.
Travellers from cities including Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi and Bangalore are also set to benefit from the additional Copenhagen frequency, with improved connection windows through Dubai enhancing travel flexibility to Northern Europe.
Phuket and Cape Town growth
The third daily service to Phuket will commence on 1 July with flight EK390 departing Dubai at 22:40hrs and arriving in Phuket at 08:10hrs the following day. The return service, EK391, will leave Phuket at 10:00hrs and land in Dubai at 13:05hrs. The early morning arrival into Phuket is aimed at travellers connecting from major European cities such as Manchester, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Frankfurt, as well as passengers arriving via Dubai from Kuwait and Bahrain.
The new Phuket service will also improve onward connectivity from the Thai resort island to destinations across Europe and the Middle East, including Madrid, Munich, Birmingham, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Zurich and Amman.
Cape Town will see its third daily Emirates service begin on 1 July, with EK778 departing Dubai at 10:25hrs and arriving in Cape Town at 18:05hrs. The return flight, EK779, will depart Cape Town at 20:00hrs and arrive in Dubai at 07:25hrs the following morning. The added frequency is designed to support both leisure and corporate demand, offering optimised connections to and from London, Dublin, Mumbai, Brussels, Australasia and key Asian markets.
Emirates’ existing double daily Cape Town services have recorded consistently high load factors over the past year, particularly during peak travel periods. The airline has reported growing inbound demand from the GCC, alongside strong outbound traffic from South Africa to Europe and the US East Coast, reinforcing the case for additional capacity on the route.
Wider A350 deployment
Beyond Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town, Emirates has also confirmed that its A350 aircraft will be introduced on services to Rome from 29 March and to Taipei from 1 May, further expanding the footprint of its newest widebody aircraft and Premium Economy offering.
Planned Premium Economy expansions
Across Europe and North America, Emirates will introduce Premium Economy on its Barcelona and Mexico City services. From 1 February, flights EK187 and EK188 will be operated by a retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER. The linked Barcelona–Mexico City service, EK255 and EK256, will switch to a three-class retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR operating daily from 15 February onwards.
Rome will see its daily EK099 and EK100 services operated by the A350 from 29 March, while Copenhagen’s second daily A350 service will begin from 1 June.
In Asia, Emirates is extending Premium Economy to multiple markets. From 29 January, two of the seven weekly services between Dubai and Cochin, operating on Thursdays and Sundays as EK530 and EK531, will be flown by a retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR. Karachi will receive daily Premium Economy service from 1 March, when the retrofitted three-class Boeing 777-200LR begins operating on EK606 and EK607.
Taipei will see a phased transition, with retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR aircraft operating EK386 and EK387 daily from 15 March until 30 April, before the A350 takes over from 1 May. Phuket’s third daily service with Premium Economy will commence from 1 July.
In Australia, Emirates will upgrade its Brisbane route from 29 March, with daily flights EK430 and EK431 operated by a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER. This will complement the retrofitted A380 service introduced on the route last year.
Africa will also benefit from expanded Premium Economy access. From 1 March, the retrofitted three-class Boeing 777-200LR will operate daily on the Addis Ababa route as EK723 and EK724. Cape Town’s third daily flight, first announced at the 2025 Dubai Airshow, will operate with the A350 from 1 July 2026.
Within the Middle East, Emirates will transition several services to Premium Economy-equipped aircraft. From 29 January, the Thursday service between Dubai and Basra on EK947 and EK948 will be operated by a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER. Kuwait City’s daily EK859 and EK860 services will use a retrofitted Boeing 777 from 1 February until 30 April, before switching to the A350 from 1 May. From 29 March, Tehran’s daily EK979 and EK980 flights will be operated by a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777.
Tickets for all services are available via emirates.com, the Emirates App, through online and offline travel agents, and at Emirates retail stores. Aircraft deployment dates remain subject to change should refurbished aircraft be released earlier than planned. All times are local.