Emirates airline is set to launch new business class seats when it unveills the Boeing 777X aircraft next year.
In an interview with the Emirates World Interviews podcast series with Steve Harvey, Emirates President, Sir Tim Clark revealed that the new business class seat “is basically the same as we have on the A380 today”.
Unlike the existing 2-2-2 seat configuration on the current B777, business class aboard the B777X will have a 1-2-1 seating and provide direct access to the aisle.
Clark said: “It is a far more spacious aircraft. We will not have anything like we have on the A380s, like the showers and the bar, but there will be a small comfort area in the middle of the business class cabin which will be available to first class passengers and business class passengers.”
He added that the first class section will have six fully enclosed suites. “We launched those at the air show of 2017 and we have them flying on a number of aircraft. They have proved to be really popular and successful so that will be the first class product,” he said.
The 777X, which Clark described as “a fabulous aircraft” is due to be delivered in June 2020. Emirates is the launch customer for the plane, with 150 orders.
Boeing has pushed back the first flight of its 777X to 2020, saying deliveries may be delayed amid problems with its General Electric-made turbines.
When asked earlier this year about the planes being delivered on time, Clark replied: “I would strongly suggest that it won’t.”
However, he has reiterated plans to introduce a premium economy section on the aircraft “during the course of 2020/2021,” he said, “an exclusive cabin for those who are prepared to trade up from economy into those seats,” he added.
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