Emirates reveals 777X business class suites

Emirates is still waiting for the Boeing 777X – latest estimates have the next-gen jetliner due to begin flying in 2027 – but at least we now have our first glimpse inside the Emirates 777X, including all-new business class suites and a cosy onboard lounge.

And as chief Sir Tim Clark previously indicated to Executive Traveller almost one year ago, the Gulf colossus has adopted suite-style berths with high partitions and sliding privacy doors.

“The enclosed suite was our idea right back in the ‘90s when we put it on the A340-500 (in first class) and then others have taken the suite (and) introduced them into business class,” Clark recounted.

“So you see (business class doors) coming in, and if you haven’t got them, then people are going to say to you, well, you really have to have them.”

“And the people, the business community, the premium cabin community love them.”

Emirates’ 777X business class

So it’s no surprise that Emirates’ 777X business class delivers on that front, as teased in a YouTube video titled The Success Story of Sir Tim Clark.

The glimpse come in the briefest of segments about the 777X (at the 7m45s mark).

This reveals doored business suites styled in the softer colours and warmer palette which Emirates has been trending towards over the past decade – most noticeably in its A380 lounge – and with the central overhead bins removed to enhance the sense of space in the 777X cabin.

Emirates' new 777X business class.

The 1-2-1 seating adopts a dovetail layout where every second window seat is actually situated next to the aisle, while the paired middle seats are alternatively spaced next to one another and apart (industry wags term this a honeymoon and divorce configuration).

The seats are most likely from Safran, which has a long-standing partnership with Emirates including the development of an aircraft seat manufacturing and assembly facility in Dubai due to open in 2027.

From these glimpses Emirates appears to have settled on a highly bespoke version of Safran’s Unity platform, which is already flying on Japan Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000, with Riyadh Air and Qantas to follow this year.

These images of the Qantas business class cabin offer a clearer illustration of Emirates’ staggered 777X business class layout.

Qantas' A350-1000 business class (based on the same Safran Unity platform as Emirates' 777X).

Qantas' A350-1000 business class (based on the same Safran Unity platform as Emirates' 777X).

This overview of JAL’s A350-1000 business class cabin also shows how the middle seats are positioned, with a sliding partition between them to afford companionship or privacy.

JAL's A350-1000 business class (based on the same Safran Unity platform as Emirates' 777X).

Also visible in the render of Emirates’ 777X business class suites is a small drinks area and a wireless charging point on the benchtop.

Emirates' new 777X business class.

Emirates’ 777X lounge

Also visible beyond the business class suites is a premium lounge area, which is another of Emirates’ signature touches.

The render shows this area to be located between two business class cabins, and decorated with the familiar Ghaf Tree motif.

Emirates' onboard 777X lounge.

The cocktail bar of the A380 would be challenging to replicate on the Boeing 777X, at least from the standpoint of economic viability, so Emirates has opted for more of a social space where passengers can relax and mingle.

Emirates' onboard 777X lounge.

The closest parallel today would be Virgin Atlantic’s The Loft on its Airbus A350s, although The Loft is located between the exit doors while Emirates’ 777X lounge is clearly in the middle of the cabin.

The Loft on Virgin Atlantic's Airbus A350.

At a glance, Emirates’ treatment has seating for four passengers on either side, flanking what we suspect will be a self-serve snack and refreshment bar.

Emirates' onboard 777X lounge.

Emirates scrapped its original 777X business class

Emirates has ordered a staggering 270 Boeing 777X jets (mostly the 777-9 model), but was forced to abandon its original Boeing 777X business class seats at a cost of “about €20-30 million” due to ongoing delays.

“In July 2019 I went onto the first 777-9,” Clark told Executive Traveller in January 2025.

“It was without the ‘game-changer’ first class suites, which hadn’t been built, but everything else was ready to go.”

“And so here we are six years later,” Clark reflected. “Right now I would have had 107 777s on the original contract, which was signed in 2013. I (still) haven’t got one.”

Emirates had to rip out its original 777X seats due to Boeing's delivery delays.

This gave competitors the opportunity to soar ahead with new business class products on other jets, ranging from new Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s to Boeing 777 refits.

As a result, Clark decided the best course of action was to abandon the original 777X seats and go back to square one.

“There was no way we could leave things as they were because technology – particularly in the customer facing side of things – moves at quite a pace, whether it be Wi-Fi connectivity, the TVs themselves and the seats themselves.... so we just had to throw ‘em all away.”

It was a hard call, and an expensive one – “just on that we had to make a payment of about €20-30 million to the manufacturer,” Clark said.

“But in the end, it’s just one of those things you have to do.”

Also read: Surprising details for Emirates’ all-new economy seat