Air New Zealand delays new business class to 2025

Air New Zealand’s long-awaited new business class won’t arrive until next year, with the Kiwi carrier forced to push back its Boeing 787 refit program. While the first of 14 Dreamliners to be refurbished was previously due to arrive in Auckland in October, the programme is running “slightly later than originally planned due to global supply chain challenges for parts,” says Air New Zealand’s Head of Fleet Strategy and Delivery, Baden Smith. “The first of our 787-9 aircraft will head off to Singapore for its retrofit in mid-October,” Smith confirmed. “We’re excited to get this programme underway and will be working through various checks and training with the team to have it flying early in the new year.”<br/>And despite being crowned by AirNZ’s new flagship Business Premier suites, these 787s won’t necessarily launch on the non-stop Auckland-New York route. “Our retrofit aircraft could be on any long-haul and short-haul route (anywhere we fly the 787 currently),” an Air New Zealand spokesperson told Executive Traveller earlier this year. “The new aircraft will be more efficient for our ultra-long haul routes like Chicago and New York. However, until they arrive, there is a possibility our retrofit aircraft may also service these routes.”<br/>