Emirates adds new cities to its Premium Economy service

Emirates will continue to incorporate its refurbished Boeing 777s and new Airbus A350s on key destinations in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, expanding the availability of Premium Economy and its newest products on board in more cities across its global network.

The airline will operate the A350 on new daily services to Copenhagen, Phuket, and Cape Town, adding an extra flight on each route and offering customers greater connectivity along with a superior travel experience. These new frequencies will complement the current schedule and provide additional capacity to meet the expected growth in demand during the peak summer season.

Passengers will be able to enjoy Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy experience, which includes more legroom, additional services, and an enhanced dining experience. From July 1, Emirates will operate A380, Boeing 777, and A350 aircraft with Premium Economy and the most modern cabin interiors on more than 84 routes, reaffirming its commitment to a premium and consistent experience across its network.

More flights and capacity to Copenhagen, Phuket, and Cape Town.
Starting June 1, Emirates will add a second daily flight between Dubai and Copenhagen. From July 1, a third daily flight between Dubai and Phuket and a third daily flight to/from Cape Town will begin operating. All three services will be operated with Airbus A350s, equipped with Premium Economy, in addition to the latest Business and Economy Class cabins.

From June 1, flight EK153 will depart Dubai for Copenhagen at 2:50 p.m., arriving at 7:45 p.m. The return flight, EK154, will depart Copenhagen at 9:35 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 5:55 a.m. the following day.** The new service is strategically timed to offer seamless connections via Dubai to East Asian destinations such as Bangkok, Bali, Manila, Tokyo Haneda, and Phuket, as well as convenient links to Colombo and Malé. It also incorporates new connections to key African cities such as Nairobi and Entebbe. Passengers from cities such as Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi, and Bangalore will also benefit from the additional frequency to the Danish capital.

Starting July 1, flight EK390 will depart Dubai for Phuket at 10:40 PM, arriving at 8:10 AM the following day. The return flight, EK391, will depart Phuket at 10:00 AM, arriving in Dubai at 1:05 PM. This new frequency will offer greater travel options to this popular tourist destination, with an early arrival time ideal for connections from Europe—including Manchester, Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Frankfurt—and from Kuwait and Bahrain. It will also facilitate connections from Phuket to major cities in Europe and the Middle East, such as Madrid, Munich, Birmingham, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Zurich, and Amman.

Also starting July 1, flight EK778 will depart Dubai at 10:25 a.m., arriving in Cape Town at 6:05 p.m. The return flight, EK779, will depart Cape Town at 8:00 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 7:25 a.m. the following day. The third frequency optimizes connections to and from London, Dublin, Mumbai, Brussels, Australasia, and key Asian markets, serving both leisure and business travelers.

The two-flight daily service to Cape Town has consistently maintained high load factors over the past year, particularly during peak periods. Inbound demand from the Gulf countries continues to grow, while outbound traffic to Europe and the US East Coast remains strong. Emirates will also operate the A350 to Rome from March 29 and to Taipei from May 1.

Planned expansion of routes with Premium Economy

Europe and North America

Barcelona and Mexico City: Service EK187/188 will be operated with a refurbished Boeing 777-300ER starting February 1. The combined service EK255/256 between Barcelona and Mexico City will be operated daily with a refurbished Boeing 777-200LR, featuring Premium Economy, starting February 15*.

Rome: the daily service EK099/100 will operate with A350 from March 29.

Copenhagen: Addition of a second daily flight from June 1, operated with A350 (EK153/154).

Asia

Cochin: From January 29, two of the seven weekly frequencies (Thursdays and Sundays) of EK530/531 will be operated with a refurbished Boeing 777-200LR.

Karachi: Starting March 1*, the refurbished three-class Boeing 777-200LR will operate daily on EK606/607.

Taipei: From March 15 to April 30*, EK386/387 will be operated with refurbished Boeing 777-200LRs; from May 1, the service will be operated with A350s.

Phuket: Third daily flight from July 1 (EK390/391).

Australia

Brisbane: From March 29, daily flights EK430/431 will be operated with refurbished four-class Boeing 777-300ERs, complementing the refurbished A380 service introduced last year.

Africa

Addis Ababa: From March 1*, the refurbished three-class Boeing 777-200LR will operate daily on EK723/724.

Cape Town: The third daily flight, announced at the Dubai Airshow 2025, will be operated with next-generation A350s from July 1, 2026.

Middle East

Basra: Thursday service EK947/948 will be operated with a refurbished four-class Boeing 777-300ER from January 29.

Kuwait City: The daily service EK859/860 will operate with a refurbished Boeing 777 from February 1 to April 30; from May 1, it will be operated with an A350.

Tehran: From March 29, daily flights EK979/980 will be operated with a refurbished Boeing 777 in a four-class configuration. 

* Aircraft allocation may be expedited if units are released before the
refurbishment program.
** All times are local.

Source: Emirates