Emirates launches ‘next generation’ 777 business class

Emirates’ new Boeing 777 business class is set to take wing on flights from mid-August, and passengers will no longer be stuck in that old school 2-3-2 layout with its dreaded middle seat.

The Gulf carrier says its “next generation” 777 business class takes its lead from the A380 business class in both the 1-2-1 layout and the broad feature set includes

• a “staggered seating arrangement” with direct aisle access for every seat
• 23” HD screen (that’s the same screen size as the current 777 business class)
• personal mini-bar
• large table for dining and working
• “ample stowage” for personal devices

Going, going, gone: the 2-3-2 layout of Emirates' current 777 business class.

Details on other high-tech touches such as wireless and USB-C power remain scant, although Emirates has previously trumpeted its next-gen 777 business class would include “next level-technology.”

As expected, the Boeing 777 business class cabin “will also include a small bar for customers to quickly grab mid-flight snacks and refreshments”, along the same lines as Emirates’ long-range Boeing 777-200LRs.

The snack bar on Emirates' 777-200LR.

There’ll be a total of 38 lie-flat seats in the revamped business class cabin, down from the current count of 42, ahead of a dedicated cabin of 24 premium economy recliners; the first class cabin will also get a refresh.

“Borrowing inspiration from our flagship A380 in every cabin, our Boeing 777 with revamped interiors boast the very best in customer comfort,” says Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim, who has previously noted “everything will be streamlined in term of the product offering and consistent” across the Emirates fleet.

“The existing 2-3-2 business class on (the) B777 will go away and you’ll see a new product that will be launched which will bring us the alignment to the product that we have with the upcoming 777-9X (and) with the A350 that is coming in.”

Passenger can expect “modern design details and signature cabin finishings, with a new business class cabin that provides more privacy for our customers, in addition to other thoughtful touches that underscore our exceptional value proposition.”

Emirates President Sir Tim Clark has previously described this next-generation 777 business class as “basically the same as we have on the A380” in terms of not only its layout but core feature seat, although nobody woud be surprised if this new business class seat sprouted on-trend privacy doors.

The seat itself is from French multinational aerospace specialist Safran, whose SkyLounge product is the foundation of Emirates’ A380 business class.

Safran's Unity platform is a likely contender for Emirates' new 777 business class.

Safran’s Unity business class platform is tipped for both Emirates’ Boeing 777 refurb and the factory-fresh Airbus A350; Unity’s spacious staggered 1-2-1 seats are wrapped in high walls and featuring a sliding door.

Safran's Unity platform is a likely contender for Emirates' new 777 business class.

(Unity has also been chosen by Qantas for its Airbus A350 business class, which will feature on non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York beginning in mid-2026.)

Emirates is upgrading over 80 of its Boeing 777s with the revised business class seats, along with its popular premium economy cabin, to counteract ongoing delays for the Boeing 777X.

The first refitted Emirates Boeing 777s are scheduled for the following flights

• EK83/EK84 between Dubai and Geneva, from 11 August
• EK312/EK313 between Dubai and Tokyo Haneda, from 1 September
• EK183/EK184 between Dubai and Brussels, from 11 September

The 777 overhaul program begins this week, and each tip-to-tail facelift will take approximately two weeks.

Emirates will refurbish one Boeing 777 every two weeks.

As previously reported, Emirates also expects to take delivery of its first Airbus A350 in August 2024 for flights from mid-September, while also revamping its A380s to keep them flying “until at least 2041.”

The superjumbo’s first class and business class cabins will adopt a lighter colour palette, stepping gently away from the original gold and faux-walnut burl finishes towards the softer tones and cream-coloured leather upholstery of the second-gen cocktail bar and the latest 777 first class suites.

The A380’s 14 first class suites are also being finessed with higher walls for added privacy and a wider seat for greater comfort.

Meanwhile, the arrival of the first Emirates Boeing 777-9 is still two years away.

“At the moment it looks like the delivery will slip from 2025 to 2026,“ Kazim told media on the sidelines of the recent IATA conference in Dubai, adding that this delay drove the airline’s decision to upgrade its 777-300ERs.

Also read: Five tips for getting an Emirates Skywards status match