Air New Zealand has revealed its fully redesigned 787-9 Dreamliner, offering a fresh, world-class cabin experience.

Starting from today, May 7, customers can book seats on this cutting-edge aircraft, with its debut flight scheduled for Monday, May 19, flying from Auckland to Brisbane.

The aircraft will also complete its inaugural long-haul flight from Auckland to San Francisco later that evening.

This milestone marks the first-ever full retrofit of a 787-9 Dreamliner, a project that has taken over two years of research, innovation, and design.

Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran celebrated the launch, highlighting that this retrofit was completed in Singapore and reflects customer feedback along with New Zealand's unique design elements.

For Coasties, this development means even more reason to look forward to travel, as the newly upgraded Dreamliner will soon be available on long-haul routes from Auckland, including to destinations like Brisbane and San Francisco.

"This is a new era of flying for Air New Zealand, with a cabin experience that captures the essence of Aotearoa in every detail—from the textures you touch to the space you relax in," Foran said.

The aircraft features a reimagined cabin with an all-new Business Premier, Business Premier Luxe, Premium Economy, and Economy seating arrangements.

Passengers can expect enhanced privacy, larger inflight entertainment screens, additional storage, and a more relaxed, comfortable flight experience.

Business Premier Cabin. Photo: Supplied.

Business Premier Luxe seat. Photo: Supplied.

The retrofitting process will continue with the second aircraft in Singapore, and by the end of 2026, all 14 Boeing 787-9s in Air New Zealand's fleet will have this updated layout.

New features include:

• Business Premier: New layout with increased privacy and space, sliding privacy screens, wireless charging, and larger 24" inflight entertainment screens.
• Business Premier Luxe: Premium seats with a full closing door, more space, and the option for two to dine together.
• Premium Economy: Fixed outer shell for seat recline without impacting others, added privacy, and more thoughtful storage.
• Economy: 50% bigger inflight screens, clever snack trays, and the Economy Stretch option for added comfort.
• Inflight Entertainment: 4K HD screens with Bluetooth pairing, mobile remote functionality, and Picture-in-Picture multitasking.

The aircraft will fly predominantly on routes between Auckland and Brisbane, San Francisco, Rarotonga, and Vancouver, with more destinations to follow as retrofits are completed.

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