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Air New Zealand is making aviation history once again, taking delivery of the world’s first certified Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring increased Maximum Take-off Weight (iMTOW) capability, designed specifically for ultra long-range travel.
It means greater flexibility to carry customers, baggage and cargo across Air New Zealand’s international network, and particularly its Auckland-New York route.
More than a decade after becoming the launch customer for the 787-9 in 2014, the brand-new aircraft, ZK-NZT, is due to touch down in Auckland tonight at 7.45pm. It is the first new 787 Dreamliner to join Air New Zealand’s fleet in seven years, and a second aircraft, ZK-NZS, will follow in just a few days.
Both aircraft feature Air New Zealand’s latest cabin interiors, including new Business Premier Luxe, Business Premier, Premium Economy and Economy seats, bringing more comfort, choice and premium seating to customers travelling long haul.
Air New Zealand chief customer and digital officer, Jeremy O’Brien, says it’s an exciting moment for the airline and its customers.
“There’s something really special about welcoming a brand-new aircraft into the fleet, particularly one that’s been years in the making to design, test and refine with our customers. Now we’re getting to see all that work come to life.
“From our new Business Premier Luxe seats to our redesigned Economy interiors, we’ve thought about every part of the journey. We want customers to step onboard and feel the difference.
“And with more premium seats than ever before, we’re giving customers more of the choice they’re looking for, while making the most of strong demand for premium travel, particularly from international visitors coming to New Zealand.”
Jeremy says the timing couldn’t be better, with the airline gearing up for one of its busiest travel periods of the year.
“Summer is just around the corner, and having these new aircraft ready to fly means more customers can enjoy our latest onboard experience during our busiest season. It’s a significant investment in our future and another step towards delivering the world-class flying experience New Zealanders and international visitors expect from us.”
Thirteen of the airline’s fourteen existing 787-9 aircraft have also been fitted with the new interiors, with the final retrofitted aircraft expected to be flying by the end of the year. Next year, all of the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft will also feature new Business Premier and Economy cabins, delivering a more modern and consistent experience across the long-haul network.
The new 787-9 features:
• 8 Business Premier Luxe seats
• 34 Business Premier seats
• 52 Premium Economy seats
• 125 Economy seats, including 9 Skycouch and 24 Economy Stretch seats
Skynest to follow after summer
Air New Zealand has also confirmed its world-first Economy Skynest will be installed after the peak summer travel period, allowing the new 787 Dreamliner to enter service straight away.
Skynest, which will give Economy customers the opportunity to lie down and sleep on long-haul flights, was originally scheduled to launch in December. While the product is ready for its next stage, regulatory certification is taking longer than anticipated, with the overseas certifying authority unable to complete approvals within the original timeframe due to resource constraints.
Jeremy says the airline has made a pragmatic decision to put its new aircraft to work over summer rather than delay its entry into service.
“We’ve got a fantastic new 787 Dreamliner ready to welcome customers, and with summer being our busiest time of year, we want it in the air doing what it was built to do. Rather than hold back a brand-new aircraft while the final approvals are completed, we’ve decided to get it flying and bring Skynest onboard after the summer peak.
“That means thousands of customers can enjoy our newest cabins over summer, while we continue working with Boeing towards bringing this world-first innovation to life. We’ll confirm the new launch date for the Skynest once the timeline is clear,” he says.
