First of Air New Zealand’s retrofitted Dreamliners returns to NZ

Thursday, 17 April 2025

All 14 of Air New Zealand's Dreamliners are getting brand new cabins. Explainer Editor Lloyd Burr went to Singapore to see the first one being retrofitted

Air New Zealand’s first retrofitted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has landed back in New Zealand, ready to show off its cabin glow up.

The plane has spent 184 days in Singapore getting a new interior layout, including the new Business Premier Luxe seat and redesigned Business Premier, premium economy, and economy cabins.

The plane has also been kitted out with new carpet, curtains, wallpaper, hands-free waste disposal and amenity holders in the lavatories, new in-flight entertainment screens and system and a Sky Pantry installed in the economy cabin.

The help-yourself free snack station for economy and premium economy passengers will have an array of snacks, fruit, non-alcoholic drinks and water available for travellers to take at their leisure.

The aircraft, ZK-NZH, was the first in the airline’s fleet of 14 Dreamliners to undergo the world-first, full nose-to-tail retrofit.

The new Business Premier Luxe seat on Air New Zealand's retrofitted Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

All of them will be reconfigured to have 272 seats; featuring four Business Premier Luxe seats, 22 Business Premier seats, 33 premium economy seats and 213 Economy seats, including 13 Economy Skycouch.

Air NZ chief commercial officer Jeremy O’Brien said the aircraft’s arrival was an exciting moment in the airline’s 85-year history.

Premium economy cabin on Air New Zealand's retrofitted Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

“Now the aircraft is back on home soil, it will undergo final preparations including testing of its new in-flight entertainment system, and a full crew ground trial to rehearse onboard service before welcoming customers on board for the first time in mid-May.'

The second 787-9 to be retrofitted with the new interiors was already undergoing work in Singapore, with seven aircraft expected to be completed by the end of the year.

All 14 Boeing 787-9s will be updated to the new cabin layout by the end of 2026.

The much-anticipated Skynest, bunk beds in the sky, will not be on these aircraft, but instead be on the aircraft the airline has in order from Boeing, due to be delivered in early 2026.