Air New Zealand’s 787-9 Dreamliner retrofit revealed

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran inside the newly-renovated Dreamliner cabin this morning. Photo / Michael Craig

Some big sources of in-flight aggravation are out and the world’s biggest economy class entertainment screen is in on Air New Zealand’s Dreamliner retrofit.

The airline’s chief executive, Greg Foran, showed off the new cabin this morning.

He said every class had tailor-made features after the years-long retrofit project.

Each aircraft cost $35 million to retrofit and it’s the airline’s first new on-board product in almost 15 years.

Foran in the 787-9 cockpit. Photo / Michael Craig

Premium economy seats have a hard shell, allowing passengers to move their chair back without impacting people behind them.

And the economy class has 13.3-inch screens, 50% larger than the current offering.

Up front in Business Premier Luxe, four all-new seats in the front row have a retractable screen.

Foran said there’d been a focus on more comfort to better encourage sleep, not just with mattresses or seats but with attention to lighting and cabin sound.

Inside the newly-renovated cabin. Photo / Michael Craig

“We focused on sleep and we’ll back ourselves to provide the best sleep you’ll get anywhere on a plane,” Foran told the Herald.

But the airline hopes the new Dreamliner features will entertain people too.

“It’s got a sensational on-board entertainment system,” Foran said.

The Dreamliner's Business Premier Luxe section, just behind the cockpit. Photo / Michael Craig

Foran said nearly all the international fleet was Wi-Fi enabled now, free for passengers.

“A really interesting development just literally weeks away is we’ll be trialling Starlink on an Airbus, a mid-range jet, and also on an ATR turboprop plane.

“We’ll be the first in the world to actually have Starlink operating in a turboprop plane.”

The Dreamliner's premium economy section. Photo / Michael Craig

Back in the 787-9 Dreamliner, Business Premier has sliding privacy screens and a 24-inch entertainment screen.

And the plane has an integrated system allowing passengers to use their devices to watch movies, play games or view the flight map.

“No matter where you sit, you’ll be able to use your mobile phone to actually operate as a remote,” Foran said.

Business Premier also offered full “lie-flat” reclining with a headrest lift.

Premium Economy seats have more storage than before, and side wings, which the airline said would provide more privacy.

And the bathrooms have new details too, with a bird-themed decoration on a type of wallpaper known as lavatory laminates.

The first retrofitted plane, ZK-NZH, will fly from Auckland to Brisbane and back in a fortnight.

Later that evening, it will fly to San Francisco.