Air New Zealand Dreamliners to receive ‘world-first’ makeover

Air New Zealand’s fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will soon look different on the inside. The national carrier has sent the first of its 14 787-9s to Singapore to receive a head-to-tail revamp, which will see them retrofitted with new cabin interiors in what it describes as a “world-first”. Similar to a home renovation, the revamp will involve replacing everything inside the cabin, from the carpet, curtains and wallpaper to the seats and entertainment systems. New seats will be installed in every cabin and include new ultra-exclusive Business Premier Luxe seats with sliding doors for privacy in the redesigned Business Premier cabin. A new ‘Sky Pantry’, a free snack station where passengers can help themselves to refreshments and stretch their legs, will be installed in Economy. Air NZ was the launch customer for the 787-9 in 2014, so the airline’s general manager of strategy, networks and fleet, Baden Smith, said it feels fitting that it is the first airline in the world to retrofit the aircraft from nose to tail. “The aircraft will then come back to New Zealand where our team will spend a few weeks working through various checks and training before it officially enters the flying schedule in the next year.” The airline will send all 14 787-9s to Singapore to be retrofitted, one at a time over the next two years in order to minimise disruption to schedules. “We’re retrofitting them one at a time to ensure we have enough aircraft to fly our schedule, and we aren’t disrupting customers’ travel plans,” Smith said.<br/>