Dreamliner of Air New Zealand Sets Maiden Flight After Upgrade
Boldly Stepping Forward: Air New Zealand's Game-Changing Dreamliner
Sharon Petersen, 22 May, 2025
Brace yourself for an unparalleled in-flight experience as Air New Zealand unveils its first fully retrofitted Dreamliner! This modern marvel took off on Monday, May 19th, setting a new bar for air travel.
After a whopping seven-year overhaul, the reimagined 787-9 roared to life on a memorable maiden voyage from Auckland to Brisbane. The jet touched down in Auckland later that day before embarking on its trans-Pacific journey to San Francisco that evening. You can soon expect it to be a regular fixture on Auckland's routes to Brisbane, San Francisco, and Vancouver.
Flight NZ145 broke new ground, debuting Air New Zealand's cutting-edge onboard experience. CEO Greg Foran stressed that last-minute tweaks were still being made right up until the day before launch. The retrofit took a painstaking 184 days to complete and is part of a staggering $35 million project. By the end of 2025, six more aircraft are scheduled to undergo the same transformation, with the remaining seven heading to Singapore for their makeover in 2026.
The gleaming new interiors boast high-end features like the plush Business Premier Luxe seat and revamped Business Premier, Premium Economy, and Economy cabins.
But, what exactly is a retrofit?
A retrofit signifies the process of taking an existing aircraft and meticulously overhauling its interior-think of it as the aviation equivalent of a high-end home renovation.
The substantial Air New Zealand 787 retrofit encompasses:
- Brand-new seating in every cabin, including the swanky new Business Premier LuxeTM seats in the Business Premier cabin
- Resplendent new carpet spanning the aircraft
- Elegant new curtains dividing cabins and galleys
- Lavish wallpaper, hands-free waste disposal, and sophisticated amenity holders adorning the lavatories
- Top-notch inflight entertainment systems and screens
- The addition of a Sky Pantry in the Economy cabin
- Ultimately, all retrofitted jets will be reconfigured to seat 272 passengers, consisting of 4 Business Premier Luxe seats, 22 Business Premier seats, 33 Premium Economy seats, 213 Economy seats, and a tantalizing 13 Economy SkycouchTM that you simply must try! Take a gander at our riveting review of the Skycouch here.
In conclusion, Air New Zealand's groundbreaking retrofit initiative will make flying a pleasure once more, redefining the onboard experience for travelers worldwide. So buckle up and get ready to soar with Air New Zealand!
Sources
- AirlineRetrofit.org. (n.d.). Retrofitting Aircraft: An Overview. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://airlineretrofit.org/retrofitting-aircraft
- PACIFIC FEDERAL ASSEMBLY. (2018). Regulatory Information – Management Information System. U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Construction and Renovation Timeline (2020), Virtual Construction, Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://virtualconstruction.co/construction-and-renovation-timeline/
- Jetpurokaira.com. (2020). 787 Dreamliner Retrofit Restore and Re-furnish. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://jetpurokaira.com/787-dreamliner-retrofit-restore-and-refurbish/
- The extensive aviation industry is witnessing a significant transformation with Air New Zealand's retrofitted Dreamliner, marking a new era in airline finance and transportation.
- The aviation sector's latest development, Air New Zealand's Dreamliner retrofit, disrupts the norm in the industry, redefining the flight experience for passengers globally while impacting the transportation and finance sectors.
