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Air New Zealand will refit the cabins of its 777-300ER fleet to bring them in line with recent refurbishments to the 787-9s.
The cabin update, to begin next year, will see the seat total remain at 342, though two premium economy seats will be swapped for economy seats, while business class will be upgraded with Collins Aerospace seats similar to the product on the refitted Dreamliners.
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“Our current Business Premier and Economy cabins have served us exceptionally well since we welcomed the first 777-300ER into our fleet in late 2010, however the time is right to raise the bar once again,” said Air New Zealand chief customer and digital officer Jeremy O’Brien.
“Alongside our retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners, these upgrades will deliver a more consistent experience across Air New Zealand’s international fleet, with a design and production standard that matches the world-class Kiwi service we’re proud to provide onboard.
“Our Boeing 777-300ER aircraft continue to play a key role in our international network, and upgrading the interiors means we can keep these aircraft flying for longer, while reducing the maintenance demands that come with an older cabin product.”
Business class will feature 44 seats with lie-flat beds, as well as privacy doors and dividers, 18-inch entertainment screens with Bluetooth connectivity, and USB-A and USB-C connections.
“The updated Business Premier cabin will deliver a modern experience for our customers and brings similar functionality to the new seats being rolled out across our 787-9 fleet. It will also see the layout change to a ‘reverse herringbone’ format,” said O’Brien.
Premium economy will remain the same, as it has already been refreshed over the past year, but the 246 economy seats will be updated with ergonomically designed seats from ZIM, upgraded screens, and USB-C connections.
It comes as Air New Zealand has returned all its existing 787-9 Dreamliners to service following engine refits, with the first two aircraft of its new Dreamliner fleet – which will be fitted with “Skycouch” sleeping pods – anticipated by the end of 2026.
Air New Zealand expects the 777 refits to begin in March of next year, with the first refurbished aircraft to be in service by May.
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