Emirates has begun installing a new comfort feature in the economy-class cabins of its Airbus A350 and A380, and Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline is adding the U-Dream 8-way headrest, an option for the Safran Seats Z400 economy seats fitted in these aircraft, which adds four adjustability functions to the standard kinematic of a 4-way headrest, to create additional neck and head support.
The padded and leather-trimmed U-Dream headrest is easy to clean and features flexible side wings that can be folded inwards to gently cradle the head and neck and enable sleeping without the head falling forwards or sideways. The headrest also moves vertically and tilts to give support for passengers with a wide range of heights and body types. The design can enable passengers who usually carry travel pillows to leave them at home.
Emirates is the first airline in the world to order the U-Dream headrest, and it will be incorporated onto the Z400 economy-class seats across all its A350s. The headrest is already flying on three Emirates A350s, and the airline is working with Safran Seats to fit U-Dream across all its A350s by the end of the year.
From 2027 onwards, installations of U-Dream will also begin on most of Emirates’ A380s and B777s as part of its huge cabin retrofit programme. The headrest will also be line-fitted on all 270 of the Boeing 777Xs that Emirates has on order.
The U-Dream has been independently tested and verified to meet the rigorous aviation safety standards of European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
