The upgrade programme will see the airline's Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with new Business Premier and Economy interiors, and give customers a fresh, more consistent experience across Air New Zealand's international fleet.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer & Digital Officer Jeremy O'Brien says the investment aims to ensure the airline delivers a product that meets customer needs now and into the future. Ongoing maintenance and production costs have also been factored into the upgrades.
"Our current Business Premier and Economy cabins have served us exceptionally well since we welcomed the first 777-300ER into our fleet in late 2010, however the time is right to raise the bar once again. Alongside our retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners, these upgrades will deliver a more consistent experience across Air New Zealand's international fleet, with a design and production standard that matches the world-class Kiwi service we're proud to provide onboard.
"Our Boeing 777-300ER aircraft continue to play a key role in our international network, and upgrading the interiors means we can keep these aircraft flying for longer, while reducing the maintenance demands that come with an older cabin product."
New onboard experience for 777 fleet
Business Premier
The refreshed Business Premier cabin will feature new Collins Elevation seats, offering customers more personal space, comfort and privacy, in a forward-facing layout.
"The updated Business Premier cabin will deliver a modern experience for our customers and brings similar functionality to the new seats being rolled out across our 787-9 fleet. It will also see the layout change to a 'reverse herringbone' format," says O'Brien.
Key features include:
- 44 seats (unchanged from current layout)
- 43" pitch seats that convert to a lie-flat bed
- All seats will have doors for enhanced privacy
- Centre seats have sliding privacy dividers
- 18" inflight entertainment screens with Bluetooth audio connectivity
- USB A and USB C connection
Economy
Customers travelling in Economy will enjoy new ergonomically designed seats from ZIM, along with upgraded inflight entertainment screens.
Key features include:
- 246 seats (two additional seats compared to the current layout)
- Economy Stretch seats with 35" pitch
- Standard Economy seats with 31"-32" pitch
- 13" inflight entertainment screens with Bluetooth audio connectivity
- USB C connection
Premium Economy remains as it is currently, with the cabins having gone through a refresh programme over the past year, with new seat covers and cabin curtains.
The first 777 is scheduled to be retrofitted in March 2027, and in service by May 2027.
