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Air New Zealand’s Skynest economy sleeping pods have been delayed again, with the airline still waiting on some regulatory approvals.
The unique selling point for the Kiwi carrier’s brand-new 787-9 Dreamliner fleet – the first of which lands in Auckland this week – has been pushed back from December to after the summer peak period, with a pair of local and overseas regulators still yet to give Skynest the thumbs up.
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According to Air New Zealand chief customer and digital officer Jeremy O’Brien, the overseas certifying authority has been “unable to complete approvals within the original timeframe due to resource constraints”.
As a result, he said, the airline “has made a pragmatic decision to put its new aircraft to work over summer rather than delay its entry into service”.
“We’ve got a fantastic new 787 Dreamliner ready to welcome customers, and with summer being our busiest time of year, we want it in the air doing what it was built to do,” he said.
“Rather than hold back a brand-new aircraft while the final approvals are completed, we’ve decided to get it flying and bring Skynest onboard after the summer peak.
“That means thousands of customers can enjoy our newest cabins over summer, while we continue working with Boeing towards bringing this world-first innovation to life. We’ll confirm the new launch date for the Skynest once the timeline is clear.”
ZK-NZT, Air New Zealand’s first Dreamliner in seven years, is fitted with the new cabin interior seen on the airline’s refurbished 787-9 fleet, including new Business Premier Luxe, Business Premier, Premium Economy and Economy seats; the second, ZK-NZS, is set to arrive a few days later.
“There’s something really special about welcoming a brand-new aircraft into the fleet, particularly one that’s been years in the making to design, test and refine with our customers. Now we’re getting to see all that work come to life,” said O’Brien.
“From our new Business Premier Luxe seats to our redesigned Economy interiors, we’ve thought about every part of the journey. We want customers to step onboard and feel the difference.
“And with more premium seats than ever before, we’re giving customers more of the choice they’re looking for, while making the most of strong demand for premium travel, particularly from international visitors coming to New Zealand.”
Skynest was intended to launch in September 2024 on flights from Auckland to Chicago. The bunk bed-style pods, located between the economy and premium economy cabins, will be limited to one session per passenger, though families on the same ticket will be able to book separate sessions for each person pending availability.
The launch was pushed back due to delays in the delivery of Air New Zealand’s new Dreamliners, though its refurbishment program on the existing fleet has been proceeding, with the first of the refitted 787-9s beginning commercial services in May 2025, and 13 of the 14 refits now complete.
Air New Zealand is also planning to refit its 777-300ER cabins in line with the Dreamliners.
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