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First look: Emirates A380 cabin retrofit unveiled with new interiors

The aircraft now features Emirates’ latest cabin products across three classes, including 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy seats, and 437 Economy Class seats

Nida Sohail
Nida Sohail

21 May, 2026

Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website
Image credit: Emirates/Website

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Emirates has reached a major milestone in its ambitious multi-billion-dollar aircraft retrofit programme with the launch of its first refurbished two-class Airbus A380, marking another significant step in the airline’s sweeping fleet modernisation strategy.

The newly upgraded aircraft, registered as A6-EUX, has officially entered commercial service operating as EK 39/40 between Dubai and Birmingham. The aircraft now features Emirates’ latest cabin products across three classes, including 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy seats, and 437 Economy Class seats, an Emirates media report said.

The refurbishment marks the first of 15 two-class A380 aircraft that Emirates plans to transform as part of its long-term commitment to delivering a more consistent and elevated passenger experience across its global network.

Major milestone in Emirates’ fleet overhaul

The extensive retrofit programme is being managed entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai and has already seen significant progress.

So far, the airline has completed refurbishment work on 95 aircraft, including 42 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, representing more than one-third of Emirates’ active fleet.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, described the milestone as another important chapter in the airline’s customer experience strategy.

“The Emirates retrofit programme revolves around the central premise that we will offer our customers a truly elevated experience every time they choose to travel with us,” Sir Tim Clark said.

“To this end, our engineering team has been working continuously and at pace in close collaboration with an ecosystem of partners and suppliers to meticulously refresh and integrate the best-in-class products to each aircraft in the programme.”

He added that the scale and complexity of the project continues to push engineering boundaries within the aviation sector.

“Our retrofit programme has raised the bar at every step, in terms of complexity, scale and detailed craftsmanship. The reconfiguration of our two-class A380 into a three-class layout that brings our popular Premium Economy seating onto the upper deck illustrates the extensive capabilities of our team,” he said.

Premium Economy takes centre stage

One of the standout additions to the refurbished aircraft is the introduction of Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin on the upper deck of the A380 for the first time.

The cabin features 56 spacious leather seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, offering passengers enhanced comfort and upgraded amenities designed to bridge the gap between Business and Economy Class travel.

Passengers travelling in Premium Economy can expect generous seat recline, full leg and footrests, six-way adjustable headrests, built-in charging ports, side cocktail tables, and enhanced dining experiences. The cabin also includes Emirates’ in-flight entertainment system displayed on 13.3-inch personal screens.

The addition of Premium Economy has become a central pillar of Emirates’ broader strategy to cater to evolving customer demand for more premium travel options at competitive prices.

Refreshed interiors across all cabins

Beyond the introduction of Premium Economy, the aircraft has undergone a full interior refresh across all cabins.

From newly installed carpets and ceiling panels to upgraded cabin finishes and next-generation seating, Emirates says passengers will notice a significantly more modern onboard atmosphere throughout the aircraft.

The redesigned interiors also incorporate Emirates’ latest signature design elements, including contemporary colour palettes, premium wood finishes, and bespoke Ghaf tree motifs, a tribute to the UAE’s national tree.

The upgraded cabin aesthetic forms part of Emirates’ wider effort to standardise its newest onboard products across the fleet while maintaining the airline’s premium identity.

Inside the complex A380 transformation

According to Emirates Engineering, the retrofit of A6-EUX required a complete dismantling and reconstruction of the aircraft’s cabin interior.

The engineering team removed 120 Economy Class seats from the upper deck to make space for the new Premium Economy cabin and an additional 18 Business Class seats.

The large-scale reconfiguration also involved extensive structural modifications, including repositioning galley modules, overhead bins, storage areas, partitions, and other cabin components. Engineers additionally carried out significant updates to the aircraft’s electrical and plumbing systems to support the new layout.

In total, approximately 50 engineers and technicians worked on the project, investing nearly 35,000 man-hours and utilising more than 2,500 different parts during the refurbishment process.

Emirates said the retrofit of the first two-class A380 took approximately two months to complete, including testing and planning phases. However, efficiencies gained during the initial project are expected to significantly reduce turnaround times for future aircraft.

The airline now expects subsequent retrofits of similar aircraft to take around 30 days each.

By the end of 2026, all 15 two-class A380 aircraft within the Emirates fleet are expected to be fully refurbished.

Retrofit programme continues to expand

Emirates first announced its ambitious retrofit initiative in 2021 as part of a broader strategy to maintain its competitive edge and enhance passenger experience across long-haul operations.

Initially, 120 aircraft were scheduled for refurbishment under the programme’s first phase. However, strong customer feedback and positive operational results prompted the airline to significantly expand the project.

By May 2024, the retrofit programme had been extended to cover 191 aircraft before later increasing again to a total of 219 aircraft.

Today, a dedicated workforce of around 270 employees supports the programme, with Emirates Engineering currently rolling out an average of two refurbished aircraft every month from its Dubai facilities.

Focus on sustainability and upcycling

Alongside the cabin upgrades, Emirates has also been placing increased emphasis on sustainability through its upcycling initiatives linked to the retrofit programme.

Materials removed from the airline’s Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft are being evaluated for reuse rather than disposal, supporting Emirates’ broader environmental objectives.

Among the initiatives launched under the programme is the “Aircrafted” collection of limited-edition products created from repurposed aircraft materials, including luggage items and accessories.

The airline has also introduced “Aircrafted for Kids” backpacks made using recycled Economy Class seat fabric. To date, around 4,000 backpacks have been donated to children across 10 countries.

Anthropic nears rare AI profit milestone as Claude boom fuels revenue surge

The AI startup behind Claude is reportedly on track for its first quarterly operating profit, highlighting how soaring enterprise demand for coding-focused AI tools is beginning to offset the sector’s massive infrastructure costs

Reuters
Reuters

21 May, 2026

Anthropic nears rare AI profit milestone as Claude boom fuels revenue surge

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Article Summary
Anthropic is nearing its first quarterly operating profit, driven by soaring sales of its Claude AI, expected to reach $10.9bn in the June quarter. This contrasts with the wider AI sector's struggles with high costs. SpaceX, meanwhile, revealed Anthropic's hefty $1.25bn monthly payments for compute capacity, highlighting the significant expenses associated with AI development.

Anthropic is closing in on its first quarterly operating profit, a person familiar with the matter said, as its sales eclipse the enormous costs to develop and deploy artificial intelligence.

In recent fundraising materials, the San Francisco-based startup apprised investors that its June quarter sales could reach at least $10.9bn, more than double its $4.8bn in revenue for the just-ended March quarter, the person said.

That will propel its second-quarter operating profit to an expected $559m.

The Wall Street Journal reported the figures earlier on Wednesday.

Anthropic‘s financials underscore how demand for the lab’s Claude AI has jumped, as software developers use the technology to handle their computer programming and some enterprises deploy its top-shelf model Mythos to unearth vulnerabilities in their code.

The profit is rare for an AI industry that is grappling with the technology’s high costs.

One such expense, in the form of AI’s voracious demand for computing power, was also disclosed on Wednesday in the IPO filing of SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rival space and AI company.

SpaceX said Anthropic had agreed to pay it $1.25bn per month through May 2029, in deals for compute capacity that now include both of SpaceX’s AI training data center clusters, Colossus and Colossus II.

Either Anthropic or SpaceX can terminate the agreements with 90 days’ notice, and fees would be reduced during the capacity ramp-up this month and next, the filing said.

Musk posted on X that SpaceX was in discussions with other companies about “offering AI compute as a service at significant scale,” which would be a boost as its AI segment remains in the red.

SpaceX’s AI segment lost about $2.5bn from operations in the March quarter, on segment revenue of $818m, its IPO filing showed.

SpaceX unveils blockbuster IPO as Musk bets future on AI and Mars

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has unveiled plans for a potentially record-breaking IPO, exposing steep AI-related losses, tight founder control and ambitious bets on Mars missions

Reuters
Reuters

21 May, 2026

SpaceX unveils blockbuster IPO as Musk bets future on AI and Mars

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Article Summary
SpaceX's IPO filing reveals significant AI investment losses, driven by the xAI acquisition. While Starlink is profitable, overall the company posted an operating loss in Q1. SpaceX's future relies on unproven technologies like space-based AI data centres. Despite risks, Musk's track record may justify investment, though he retains considerable control. The IPO could value SpaceX at $1.75 trillion.

SpaceX took the wraps off its IPO filing on Wednesday, laying bare for investors just how much Elon Musk is losing on artificial intelligence while betting the company’s future on transforming the rocket maker into an AI powerhouse.

Much of its outlook relies on SpaceX dominating technologies and markets that do not yet exist – from Mars missions to AI data centers in space.

For many, Musk’s record turning Tesla into the most valuable auto company in the world and developing the world’s first fully reusable rocket and largest satellite network is enough to justify investment.

The filing cements Musk’s tight control of SpaceX while giving shareholders little say over his decisions. It shows just how central AI has become following the February purchase of xAI, which drove most of the company’s spending and a majority of its losses in the first quarter.

The listing could become the first US market debut above $1 trillion and would immediately make SpaceX one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies.

Of SpaceX‘s three divisions, only the connectivity segment powered by satellite internet unit Starlink was profitable in the first three months of the year.

While Starlink generated an operating profit of $1.19bn, it wasn’t enough to prevent the company from booking a total operating loss of $1.94bn in the first quarter on $4.69bn in revenue. Its AI division, alone, accounted for $2.47bn in losses on $818m in revenue.

Musk’s purchase of his social media and AI company xAI gave SpaceX new capabilities and opportunities but a staggering amount of spending, accounting for 76 per cent of its $10.1bn in capital spending in the first quarter, as well as fresh losses.

The company’s plans rely on technology that’s not yet been built for much of its future revenue stream, including operating data centers powered by solar power in space, to reach a potential market of $28.5tn, according to the filing.

SpaceX has grown into the world’s largest space business since its founding in 2002 by launching thousands of Starlink internet satellites. Its pioneering use of reusable rockets has transformed the economics of space, forcing competitors like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to play catch-up.

A successful share sale could value the company at a record-setting $1.75tn, which would put its founder on track to become the first trillionaire in history. Musk will also retain 85.1 per cent of the combined voting power of the company, the filing showed.

Meta lays off 8,000 employees in AI overhaul as Zuckerberg rules out more broad cuts

The Facebook parent is restructuring around AI workflows, cutting roughly 10 per cent of its workforce and reassigning thousands more employees

Reuters
Reuters

21 May, 2026

Meta lays off 8,000 employees in AI overhaul as Zuckerberg rules out more broad cuts

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Article Summary
Mark Zuckerberg informed Meta employees that, despite a major restructuring involving a 10% workforce reduction and 7,000 employee transfers to AI initiatives, no further company-wide layoffs are expected this year. This overhaul aims to centre AI within Meta's products and internal operations, impacting approximately 20% of the organisation.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees in an internal memo on Wednesday that he does not expect more company-wide layoffs this year, according to a copy of the memo seen by Reuters.

He made the announcement on the same day the Facebook owner carried out a massive restructuring of the company, laying off 10 per cent of its workforce globally (approximately 8,000 employees) and transferring 7,000 other employees to new initiatives related to AI workflows.

“I want to be clear that we do not expect other company-wide layoffs this year. I also want to acknowledge that we haven’t been as clear as we aspire to be in our communication, and that’s one area I want to make sure we improve,” he said in the memo.

Employees left comments on his post quoting the words “company-wide” and “expect.”

“Things sometimes go ‘unexpectedly,'” one person wrote.

A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the update.

The changes are part of a far-reaching overhaul taking place at Meta this year, as the company surges its AI investments in a bid to center AI agents in both its product offerings and its approach to work internally.

In total, the layoffs and transfers announced this week are hitting about 20 per cent of the company’s workforce. Some of the transfers have already happened, while in other cases employees are being notified on Wednesday.

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi to return to Yas Island in July 2026

The upcoming event continues the long-running partnership between UFC and Abu Dhabi, which began in 2010

Rajiv Pillai
Rajiv Pillai

21 May, 2026

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi to return to Yas Island in July 2026
Image: Supplied

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Article Summary
UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi returns to Etihad Arena, Yas Island, on July 25th, 2026. Tickets will be available soon through Visit Abu Dhabi. This event continues the long-standing partnership between UFC and Abu Dhabi, a prominent global destination for UFC events.

Ultimate Fighting Championship and Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi have announced the return of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, set to take place on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

Tickets for UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi are expected to go on sale soon, with fans encouraged to register interest through Visit Abu Dhabi to access ticket sales and exclusive hotel-and-ticket packages for international visitors.

The full fight card will be announced in the coming weeks. Abu Dhabi has become one of UFC’s most prominent global destinations, regularly hosting major fight events and attracting international audiences to the emirate.

The upcoming event continues the long-running partnership between UFC and Abu Dhabi, which began in 2010. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abu Dhabi gained global attention after hosting the UFC Fight Island series, reinforcing the emirate’s role as a key international hub for combat sports and live entertainment.

In 2025, UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder drew a packed crowd to Etihad Arena with a high-profile middleweight bout, while UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane headlined Abu Dhabi Showdown Week with a heavyweight clash.

Through its collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi, UFC continues to expand its global network of government and private-sector partnerships, bringing large-scale sporting events to international markets while contributing to tourism, economic activity and fan engagement.

GCC, UK strike major free trade agreement worth $5bn annually

Britain and the GCC have agreed a landmark free trade deal expected to generate $5bn annually in the long term

Reuters
Reuters

20 May, 2026

GCC, UK strike major free trade agreement worth $5bn annually

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Article Summary
Britain has secured a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council, anticipated to boost the UK economy by £3.7 billion annually. Amidst regional instability, the agreement signals confidence and removes 93% of GCC tariffs on British goods, benefiting sectors like autos and food. Reciprocal tariff reductions by the UK will further bolster trade relations.

Britain said on Wednesday it had secured a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council worth $5bn a year in the long run, deepening economic ties with allies in a region dealing with the fallout from the Iran war.

The deal with the GCC, which consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, comes after US-Israeli strikes against Iran in February triggering Iranian attacks on other countries in the region, putting strain on energy and food supplies.

“At a time of increased instability, today’s announcement sends a clear signal of confidence – giving UK exporters the certainty they need to plan ahead,” Britain’s Trade Minister Peter Kyle said.

The British government said the deal would be worth £3.7bn ($4.96bn) each year in the long term, more than double a previous estimate that it would be worth £1.6bn, as the final deal went further on both trade liberalisation and service sector commitments than previously expected.

The deal will remove 93 per cent of GCC tariffs on British goods, equivalent to the removal of £580m worth of tariffs by the deal’s tenth year, with two-thirds of the tariffs being removed as soon as the deal comes into force.

The government said that autos, aerospace, electronics and food and drink would be among the sectors to benefit, with cereals, cheddar cheese, chocolate and butter all becoming tariff-free.

In return, Britain has lowered tariffs to the GCC, though the countries’ main exports to Britain, oil and gas, are already tariff-free.

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