Emirates is rolling out its new A350 aircraft and retrofitted Boeing 777s to Cape Town, Copenhagen and Phuket in 2026, expanding access to Premium Economy and refreshed cabins across its global network.
The airline says more than 84 routes will feature upgraded interiors by 1 July, as it prepares for higher winter travel demand across Europe, Africa and Asia.
The third daily Dubai–Cape Town service will switch to the A350 from 1 July, marking the first time the aircraft type serves the South African market. Additional daily services to Copenhagen begin on 1 June and to Phuket on 1 July, both operated by A350 aircraft with Premium Economy, Business and updated Economy cabins.
Emirates says the expanded fleet mix gives travellers more flexibility and a consistent onboard experience across its three gateways in South Africa. “With the deployment of the next-gen A350 on the third daily service between Dubai and Cape Town, South Africa becomes the only African nation on our network to be served by all three aircraft types on the Emirates fleet,” said Afzal Parambil, Regional Manager of Southern Africa. “This fleet mix provides the greatest flexibility for our customers to travel in and out of our three gateways, while still providing travellers with the world-renowned Emirates’ experience, on every flight.”
From 1 June, a second daily service launches between Dubai and Copenhagen, with flight EK153 departing Dubai at 14:50hrs and arriving at 19:45hrs, and the return EK154 leaving Copenhagen at 21:35hrs and arriving in Dubai at 5:55hrs the following day. The schedule is designed to connect onward to destinations in East Asia such as Bangkok, Bali, Manila, Tokyo Haneda and Phuket, as well as African cities including Nairobi and Entebbe, while also improving links from cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Delhi and Bangalore.
From 1 July, the third daily Dubai–Cape Town flight EK778 departs at 10:25hrs and arrives at 18:05hrs, with the return EK779 leaving at 20:00hrs and arriving in Dubai at 07:25hrs the next morning. Emirates says the added frequency supports strong inbound demand from the Gulf and outbound travel to Europe and the US East Coast, serving both leisure and corporate travellers.
Phuket also gains a third daily service from 1 July, with EK390 departing Dubai at 22:40hrs and arriving at 08:10hrs the next day, and EK391 returning at 10:00hrs and arriving in Dubai at 13:05hrs. The early-morning arrival is aimed at passengers connecting from European cities including Manchester, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Frankfurt, as well as Kuwait and Bahrain.
Premium Economy expansion continues
Beyond the headline routes, Emirates is expanding Premium Economy across multiple regions in 2026. Addis Ababa will see daily retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR services from 1 March, while Barcelona and Mexico City will receive upgraded aircraft from February. Rome transitions to the A350 from 29 March, and Taipei moves to A350 operations from 1 May.
In Asia, selected services to Cochin and Karachi will operate with retrofitted aircraft, while Brisbane in Australia will receive daily Boeing 777-300ER services with four-class cabins from 29 March. In the Middle East, Basra, Kuwait City and Tehran will also transition to upgraded aircraft during the first half of the year.
Tickets are available via the Emirates website and app, travel agents and Emirates retail stores. All times are local, and aircraft deployment may be brought forward if refurbishment schedules allow.
