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

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. 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 CCO Jeremy O’Brien said the aircraft’s arrival was an exciting moment in the airline’s 85-year history. “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."<br/>