Air New Zealand has revealed details of the cabin interior upgrade programme being undertaken across its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fleet. The programme will see the airline’s seven legacy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the first of which entered service in late 2010, retrofitted with new Business Premier and Economy class cabins that will offer an inflight experience more consistent with those of the airline’s retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners.
The seat count will still be 342, with some minor tweaks to the overall layout of passenger accommodation (LOPA). The first 777 is scheduled to be retrofitted in March 2027, and to re-enter service by May 2027.
Jeremy O’Brien, Air New Zealand’s chief customer & digital officer, stated that the investment is intended to deliver inflight products that meet the needs of customers needs today and in the future. Ongoing maintenance and production costs have also been factored into the upgrade programme.
“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,” said O’Brien.
The new 777 Business Premier cabins
The refreshed Business Premier cabin will feature new reverse-herringbone Elevation seats from Collins Aerospace, with a window view, privacy doors, and more living space, comfort and privacy than the outgoing herringbone model.
The airline has not opted to fit the same seat as found in its retrofitted B787-9s, which is the Safran Visa, with an inward-facing herringbone.
“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,” stated O’Brien.
Key features of the new B777 Business Premier seats:
- 44 seats (unchanged from current LOPA)
- 43 inch pitch seats that convert to a lie-flat bed
- All seats have privacy doors
- The centre seats have sliding privacy dividers
- 18 inch inflight entertainment (IFE) displays with Bluetooth audio connectivity
- USB A and USB C sockets
Upgrades for the 777 Economy class cabin
The Economy cabin is being fitted with new, ergonomically designed ZP210 seats from ZIM Aircraft Seating, along with upgraded and enlarged IFE screens.
Key features include:
- 246 seats (two more than the current ANZ B777 LOPA)
- There will be 16 rows of Skycouch
- Standard Economy seats will have a 31-32 inch pitch
- Economy Stretch seats are available with a 35 inch pitch
- 13 inch IFE screens with Bluetooth audio connectivity
- USB C sockets
A familiar Premium Economy
The only change of note in the Premium Economy cabins is that two seats will be removed (to become a 52-seat cabin) in order to accommodate the new Business Premier product.
Other than that the cabins are not being changed, as the airline has refreshed these cabins over the past year, including fitting new seat covers and class divider curtains.
