Following 18 months of research, 2,500 hours of customer testing, and 184 days in Singapore, an exceptional new onboard experience has officially returned to the Air New Zealand fleet.

The aircraft returned with an absolutely stunning cabin transformation. It now features brand-new interiors, including the luxurious Business Premier Luxe seat and refreshed Business Premier, Premium Economy, and Economy cabins. Designated ZK-NZH, this is the first aircraft in Air New Zealand's 787–9 fleet to receive the comprehensive nose-to-tail retrofit—marking a world-first for the airline.

What is a retrofit?

A retrofit refers to the process of taking an existing aircraft and replacing the product inside it- like a renovation of a home.

The scope of the Air New Zealand 787 retrofit includes:

• New seats in every cabin, including the new Business Premier Luxe™ seats in the Business Premier cabin

• New carpet throughout the aircraft

• New curtains between cabins and galleys

• New wallpaper, hands-free waste disposal, and amenity holders in the lavatories

• New inflight entertainment screens and system

• Sky Pantry installed in the Economy cabin

The aircraft LOPA: Layout of Passenger Accommodation

All 14 aircraft 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™ which is you haven’t tried before you really must! See our review of the Skycouch here.

Currently, the airline's 787-9 aircraft have two different LOPA or configurations; nine aircraft with 302 seats, and five aircraft with 275 seats.

Air New Zealand Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy O'Brien says the aircraft's arrival is an exciting moment in the airline's 85-year history.

"Seeing the first of our 14 Dreamliners to undergo this transformation arrive home is a huge moment for our people, our customers, and the future of Air New Zealand. We're so proud to deliver this new experience for those who fly with us around the world.

"Now the aircraft is back on home soil, it will undergo final preparations including testing of its new inflight entertainment system, and a full crew ground trial to rehearse onboard service before welcoming customers on board for the first time in mid-May."

The second 787-9 to be retrofitted with the new interiors is already in Singapore, undergoing work, with a total of seven aircraft expected to be completed by the end of the year. All 14 Boeing 787-9s will be updated to the new cabin layout by the end of 2026.