Air New Zealand Delays New Business Class Launch

Air New Zealand has announced a delay in the introduction of its highly anticipated new business class offering, originally set to debut on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet in September 2024. The airline attributed this postponement to ongoing supply chain challenges affecting the delivery of essential components, with the new launch now pushed back to “early in the new year.”

Baden Smith, Air New Zealand’s Head of Fleet Strategy and Delivery, discussed the situation in an interview with Executive Traveller. He stated, “The refit program is running slightly later than originally planned due to global supply chain challenges for parts. The first of our 787-9 aircraft will head off to Singapore for its retrofit in mid-October.” Smith expressed excitement about the upcoming program, emphasizing that the team would be undergoing various checks and training to ensure a smooth rollout early next year.

In light of this latest announcement, it appears that Air New Zealand may also be revising its earlier plan to debut the new Business Premier Suites product exclusively on the Auckland to New York-JFK route. A spokesperson for the airline indicated that the upgraded business class product could instead be introduced on any route currently operated by its 787 fleet.

Originally, the new business class was intended for the airline’s longest 787-9 Dreamliner routes, including services to Chicago and New York. However, with the delivery of a new batch of 787s now delayed until late 2025, the airline may opt to retrofit its existing older 787s to feature the new product sooner.

The first 787-9s set for retrofitting in Singapore were expected to enter service in September 2024, not only featuring the new business class but also introducing the much-anticipated ‘Skynest’ economy bunk beds. The Skynest experience includes a series of sleeping pods located between the premium economy and economy cabins, allowing economy passengers to book a lie-flat bed for four-hour intervals.

Each pod will offer personal ventilation, a reading light, full bedding with a full-size pillow, ear plugs, a USB port, and specially designed lighting for rest. The Skynest experience will be available for a fee estimated between US$244 and US$370 for a single four-hour session.

Once the retrofitting is complete, the updated 787-9s will be tailored for ultra-long-haul routes, featuring 42 Business Premier seats across two cabins. The design will include four Business Premier Luxe suites in the first row of each cabin, alongside the Skynest product and a redesigned premium economy section.

In July 2024, Air New Zealand reiterated its commitment to investing in its Dreamliner fleet, with upgrades planned for its current fleet of 14 aircraft, in addition to eight new Dreamliners on order from Boeing—comprising six 787-10s and two additional 787-9s.

Over the past decade, Air New Zealand has transported more than 11 million customers on 59,000 Dreamliner flights, accumulating over 475,000 flying hours. Currently, the airline operates 14 787-9s configured to accommodate 302 passengers in a three-class layout, emphasizing its commitment to enhancing passenger experience on long-haul journeys.