Air New Zealand ferries first of ten new Boeing 787s

By Andrew Curran.

Air New Zealand has ferried in the first of ten new B787s, more than seven years after finalising the order. The B787-9, ZK-NZT (MSN 66904), flew from San Antonio to Auckland this week. The second B787-9 is due to arrive within days.

ZK-NZT is the world’s first certified B787 featuring increased maximum take-off weight capability, designed specifically for ultra-long-range travel. The new B787-9s will be tasked to specific long-range routes, such as Auckland (AKL)  – New York (JFK).

Air New Zealand says the aircraft is the first new B787 to join its fleet in seven years. The second B787-9, ZK-NZS (MSN 66903), is expected to land at Auckland Airport on November 1. Both aircraft are debt-financed.

Air New Zealand was Boeing’s 787 launch customer, first flying the type in 2014. Between then and 2019, it took delivery of fourteen B787-9s. Along with nine B777-300ERs, they make up the airline’s long-haul fleet.

Skynest bunks still awaiting final certification

The existing B787s have been progressively refurbished over the past 18 months, a process now weeks away from completion. Some of the new batch of B787s, which tentatively includes five B787-9s and five B787-10s, will feature the keenly awaited Skynest bunks in the economy cabin.

Previously flagged to launch in December 2026, Air New Zealand has pushed back Skynest’s introduction until next year. The airline says this is because it wants to put ZK-NZT and ZK-NZS into service as soon as possible and Skynest requires two further certification approvals.

One approval is from an overseas regulator, where resourcing constraints have caused delays. The other is from New Zealand’s regulator, where the process is progressing more quickly.

“Thousands of customers can enjoy our newest cabins over summer, while we continue working with Boeing towards bringing this world-first innovation to life,” said Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy O’Brien. “We’ll confirm the new launch date for the Skynest once the timeline is clear.”

Delivery of Air New Zealand’s B787s to continue into the 2030s

Air New Zealand tentatively expects deliveries of the B787s to continue into the 2030s, although previously announced delivery timelines have not been adhered to for various reasons. These ten new Dreamliners, ordered in 2019, were originally scheduled to begin arriving in 2022.

In its 2026 annual results presentation in late August, Air New Zealand said it was “in active negotiations with Boeing to rephase the delivery profile of B787 aircraft, smoothing the capital investments to support capacity growth”.

The new B787-9s differ from Air New Zealand’s existing B787s in two key respects. Firstly, the new aircraft will have a greater proportion of premium seating, including 94 business-class and premium-economy seats.

Secondly, the incoming aircraft will use GEnx-1B engines rather than the problem-plagued Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to the existing B787s.

Operating B787-9s with Rolls-Royce engines and A321-200NXs fitted with PW1100G engines, Air New Zealand has been hit hard by mandatory recalls and inspections. At its peak, five of its fourteen B787s and six of its fourteen A321-200NXs were grounded as a result.

Aside from the final B787-9 undergoing refurbishment in Singapore, all the aircraft are back in service, as are 12 of the 14 A321s.

New routes, including seasonal Christchurch – Denpasar flights

The additional capacity, along with the arrival of the new B787s, is easing a severe capacity constraint. Across the long-haul network, this is becoming evident in several ways, including the launch of three new B787-9 operated medium- and long-haul routes from Christchurch (CHC).

The first, to Singapore, began this week. The second, to Tokyo Narita (NRT), will launch on November 28, while the third, to Perth (PER), will commence on November 30.

This week, Air New Zealand also announced a new three-times-weekly seasonal service between Christchurch and Denpasar (DPS) for the southern winter of 2027. The airline also says its Singapore flights, originally planned to operate seasonally, will instead run year-round.

Photo: Air New Zealand.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com