Aircraft

Middle Eastern carrier Emirates has revealed the first images of the interior features on its Airbus A380 aircraft, showing that shower-spas will be among the facilities installed for first-class passengers.

The Dubai-based operator is due to take delivery of its first A380 at a ceremony in Hamburg next week, and details of the cabin interior have largely remained secret.

© Emirates (A380 brochure)

But a brochure obtained during an Emirates event at London Heathrow today reveals that the A380 will have two on-board shower spas, located at the front of the first-class cabin on the upper deck.

Transport of water is particularly problematic on commercial aircraft because of the weight of liquid and the airline has yet to detail the operation of the showers.

The brochure also shows that first-class passengers will have luxurious private suites, adding: “Having pioneered on-board private suites, we now introduce the next generation of suites in first class, signifying a new era of opulence and indulgence that can only be associated with modern day private jet travel.”

First- and business-class passengers will also have exclusive access to an on-board lounge. Business-class seats will include connectivity ports, a work-table and mini-bar, and will convert to flat beds.

While Singapore Airlines has been charging a premium fare to passengers for the privilege of flying on the A380, Emirates Airline president Tim Clark says that the Middle Eastern carrier will not be doing the same.

He says the inaugural A380 services to New York JFK, which begin on 1 August, are full, and that the fares have risen to the “top end” of Emirates’ range but he says this will “slip back” to the carrier’s normal levels.

“I don’t think, at this stage, we can justify a premium price,” he says. “It suggests our normal product isn’t as good – which it is.”

Emirates’ first A380 will be configured with 489 seats. The upper deck will feature 14 first-class seats and two business-class cabins with 58 and 18 seats, while the lower deck will be all-economy with three cabins comprising 76, 135 and 188 seats.

• AirSpace: more images of the A380 interior
• Aircraft profile: Airbus A380
• AirSpace: A380 gallery
• AirSpace: images of the A380 model unveiled at London's Heathrow Airport