Air New Zealand’s newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners include expanded premium seating, adding nine more Business Premier seats and 12 additional premium-economy positions to the cabin.
“Since we introduced the Dreamliner, we have seen strong customer demand for our award-winning Business Premier and premium-economy cabins and the products and service that come with these. Increasing the size of these cabins on our new 787-9 Dreamliners will give more customers than ever the opportunity to experience why Air New Zealand has been named by Airlineratings.com as the best airline in the world for the past four years,” said Mike Tod, chief marketing and customer officer at Air New Zealand.
The reconfiguration results from a collaboration between Air New Zealand and Boeing as the airline updates its fleet and onboard offerings.
“Since the launch of the 787-9 Dreamliner, Boeing and Air New Zealand have partnered together to bring a new level of capability and comfort to passengers around the world. With the delivery of its tenth 787-9 Dreamliner — and its newly refreshed interior — Air New Zealand is once again demonstrating its commitment to taking the customer experience to the next level,” said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Air New Zealand was the first carrier to take delivery of the 787-9 in 2014, and its Dreamliner fleet now totals 10 aircraft. The introduction of the 787-9s has delivered significant operational benefits, with the type contributing to an approximate 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency for the fleet. The newest 787-9 will begin service on Oct. 15 with an inaugural flight to Sydney (SYD), and will join the regular Auckland (AKL)–Houston (IAH) rotation beginning in December.