Emirates extends Premium Economy reach with expanded city rollout
Emirates
- Premium Economy to launch in 9 new cities and expand to additional flights in two existing destinations
- Additional daily frequencies with next-gen A350 to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town layer on more capacity and enhanced onboard experience ahead of peak travel demand
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 9 January 2026 - Emirates will continue rolling out its retrofitted Boeing 777 and new A350 aircraft to key destinations across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia, bringing Premium Economy and its latest onboard products to more cities across its network. The airline will deploy its A350 on new daily services to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town, adding an extra frequency and offering customers greater connectivity alongside an elevated onboard experience. Additional frequencies to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town will complement existing schedules and provide much-needed capacity to meet the anticipated surge in summer travel demand.
Customers can look forward to Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy experience, complete with extra legroom and added amenities, elevated dining, and more. The airline will deploy its Premium Economy retrofitted A380, Boeing 777 and A350 aircraft with the latest cabin interiors on more than 84 routes by 1 July, underscoring its focus on delivering a premium and consistent experience across its network.
Additional flights and capacity to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town
From 1 June, a second daily service will be introduced between Dubai and Copenhagen; a third daily service between Dubai and Phuket and a third daily to/from Cape Town will come into effect from 1 July. All three services will be operated with the airline’s latest A350 aircraft, featuring its award-winning Premium Economy, in addition to the latest Business and Economy Class cabins.
From 1 June, Emirates’ flight EK153 will depart Dubai to Copenhagen at 14:50hrs, arriving at 19:45hrs. The return flight, EK154, will depart Copenhagen at 21:35hrs, arriving in Dubai at 5:55hrs the following day.** The new service is optimally timed to provide seamless connections from Copenhagen to popular destinations via Dubai, including Australia. Passengers travelling from key global cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, will also benefit from the additional frequency to the Danish capital, with convenient onward connection times through Dubai.
From 1 July, Emirates’ flight EK390 will depart Dubai to Phuket at 22:40hrs, arriving at 08:10hrs the following day. The return flight, EK391, will depart Phuket at 10:00hrs, arriving in Dubai at 13:05hrs. Travellers will benefit from additional travel options to the popular resort destination, which offers an early morning arrival ideal for those connecting from Australia via Dubai. The new flight will also provide convenient onward connection times from Phuket to key gateways across Europe and the Middle East, including Australia.
1 July will also see EK778 departing Dubai at 10:25 hrs, arriving in Cape Town at 18:05 hrs; the return flight, EK779, will depart Cape Town at 20:00 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 07:25 hrs the following morning. The departure offers travel options with optimised connections from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Beyond leisure, the third daily flight opens new opportunities for corporate travellers to access key Asian markets.
Emirates' double daily Cape Town service has seen consistently high load factors over the past year, particularly during peak periods. Inbound demand from the GCC continues to grow, while outbound traffic to Europe and the US East Coast remains strong.
The airline will also operate its A350 to Rome and Taipei from 1 May.
Premium economy expands on Australian routes
From 29 March, daily flights from Brisbane on EK430 departing from Dubai at 2:30 hrs, arriving in Brisbane at 21:50 hrs and EK431; the return flight will depart from Brisbane at 1:55 hrs and will arrive in Dubai at 10:30 hours. The flights will be operated by a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER, joining the A380 retrofitted service introduced last year.
As of 1 December 2025, Adelaide now offers Emirates’ new Premium Economy and has become the fifth and final city in Emirates' Australian network to feature the highly awarded cabin. Passengers can now fly Premium Economy from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide in the highly awarded Premium Economy cabin.
Connectivity and Commitment to Australia
Emirates’ extensive network and well-positioned hub in Dubai make it an ideal stopover point for passengers travelling between Australia and onwards to over 40 European destinations, offering seamless connectivity, minimal transit times and world-class airport facilities.
Emirates has been deeply committed to Australia for nearly three decades and its investment in the country goes well beyond the flights it operates. Emirates has also made an investment of over $230 million into a formidable portfolio of sponsorships across sports and art in Australia, including the Australian Open, Collingwood Football Club and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents as well as Emirates’ retail stores.
ENDS
Planned Premium Economy route expansions
Europe & North America
- Barcelona and Mexico City: Emirates will operate its EK187/188 service with a retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from 1 February. EK255/256, the linked service between Barcelona and Mexico City, will operate with a Premium Economy retrofitted three class Boeing 777-200LR daily from 15 February* onwards.
- Rome: The EK099/100 daily service will operate with A350 aircraft from 29 March.
- Copenhagen: Addition of a second daily service from 1 June with an Emirates A350, as EK153/154.
Asia
- Cochin: From 29 January, two of the seven-weekly services (Thursday and Sunday) on EK530/531 between Dubai and Cochin will operate with a retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR.
- Karachi: Starting 1 March*, Emirates’ retrofitted three-class Boeing 777-200LR will begin operating daily on EK606/607.
- Taipei: Emirates will operate its retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR on the EK386/387 daily service from 15 March* until 30 April and, from 1 May onwards, those services will operate with the airline's A350 aircraft.
- Phuket: A third daily service between Dubai and Phuket will come into effect from 1 July on EK 390/391.
Australia
- Brisbane: From 29 March, daily flights on EK EK430/431 will be operated by a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER, joining the A380 retrofitted service introduced last year.
Africa
- Addis Ababa: From 1 March*, the retrofitted 3-class Boeing 777-200LR will operate daily on EK723/724.
- Cape Town: A third daily flight on the Dubai-Cape Town route, announced at the 2025 Dubai Airshow, will now operate with a next-gen Emirates A350 from 1 July 2026.
Middle East
- Basra: The Thursday service on EK947/948 will transition to a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER from 29 January.
- Kuwait City: The EK859/860 daily service between Dubai and Kuwait City will operate with a retrofitted Boeing 777 from 1 February until 30 April and from 1 May onwards the service will operate with an Emirates A350.
- Tehran: Effective 29 March, the retrofitted B777 in a four-class configuration will operate daily flights on EK979/980.
Notes to Editors
* Aircraft deployment may be advanced if released earlier from refurbishment.
** All times are local.
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