Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, oversaw the retrofitting of an Emirates A380 on Wednesday when he visited the airline's engineering centre.
Sheikh Mohammed watched as a superjumbo jet was prepared for a fresh interior as part of the airline's $2 billion overhaul programme.
Many of the Airbus planes will be fitted with new premium economy cabins.
The 400,000-square-metre engineering facility spread over 12 hangars is one of the largest structures in the Middle East.
Over two years, the programme aims to upgrade the cabin interiors of 120 aircraft.
Each plane takes about 21 days to refurbish.
Emirates employs more than 5,500 people in various positions in its engineering division. About 60 per cent are Emiratis and 20 per cent are women.
Sheikh Mohammed also visited Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport, which provides services to 50 other airlines including flydubai.
He was briefed on the airport's operations, including its preparations to handle increased travel demand during the summer holiday season.
In a tweet shared on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed praised the Emirates team for their hard work and maintaining a high quality of service.
Dubai International Airport received more than 66 million passengers in 2022.
