Emirates has announced plans to take delivery of 17 to 19 new Airbus A350 aircraft in the next financial year, stating its goal is to increase premium economy seating capacity from two million to four million seats in the new year. The carrier told 'Emirates Today' that load factors on flights during December 2025 were very high, averaging above 85%, with some stations reporting full occupancy, coinciding with the holiday season and New Year celebrations. It confirmed that the upcoming financial year will be a major expansion year for premium economy (Emirates Group's financial year starts on April 1, 2026, and ends on March 31, 2027). Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates, Adnan Kazem, said the airline continues its strategic expansion in premium economy, with new aircraft entering service and the ongoing fleet modernization process, driven by strong and growing passenger demand for this class across various stations in its global network. Kazem added that Emirates continued to take delivery of new Airbus A350 aircraft last year, alongside updated Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, all equipped with premium economy cabins, which contributed to increasing the number of seats the airline offers in this class. Kazem explained that the premium economy cabin serves around 70 cities across the airline's global network on board more than 100 aircraft equipped with it, representing about 40% of the airline's passenger fleet. He noted that this award-winning class features wide seats, extra legroom, numerous additional comfort features, and premium dining options. He mentioned that the airline has taken delivery of 16 new Airbus A350 aircraft, all equipped with premium economy, by the end of last year, in addition to updated Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, and a number of Airbus A380 aircraft that were delivered with this class from the manufacturer. Kazem revealed that the upcoming financial year will be a major expansion year for premium economy, with a strong focus on increasing capacity from around two million seats in the current year to four million seats in this class across its network of destinations. He explained that this class will be available on an increasing number of destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Middle East region, as well as European and Far Eastern stations. Kazem said: 'Our initial focus was on long-haul stations like Australia and the Americas, but the next phase will see greater expansion of this class on several routes, especially in the Middle East.' He added: 'We aim to operate aircraft with the latest premium economy cabin designs on more than 84 destinations by next July.' Regarding overall capacity growth, Kazem explained that Emirates expanded by about 4.5% during the current financial year ending in March 2026, expecting the expansion in the next financial year to be at a similar rate. He also disclosed plans to take delivery of 17 to 19 new Airbus A350 aircraft, along with bringing more Airbus A380 aircraft into service in the next financial year to continue the growth of the company's fleet. Kazem confirmed that demand for travel to Dubai as a final destination remains strong, driven by increasing passenger interest in the emirate due to its prominent global tourist status. He noted that a growing proportion of passengers are now choosing Dubai as a final destination compared to previous years. He pointed out that load factors on flights were very high during December 2025, averaging above 85%, with the airline operating at full capacity on a large number of stations, while some stations reported full occupancy, coinciding with the holiday season and New Year celebrations. He said demand in December 2025 was better than the previous year, supported by the increased seating capacity of Emirates, which reflected in higher passenger traffic across the airline's network.
