Air New Zealand has this week celebrated 10 years of flights with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The Auckland-based carrier has made waves with the aircraft type over the last decade.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
10 Years of Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Flights…
Air New Zealand received it’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on July 11, 2014, with this marking a new era in flights.
In that time, the carrier has handled over 11 million customers across 59,000 fleets, operating for 475,000 hours.
This is also a relationship that started 20 years ago, when the airline first placed it’s order for the aircraft.
Following the delivery of the first aircraft in 2014, the inaugural commercial flight with the aircraft was between Auckland and Perth in that September.
It is a relationship that has been fruitful: Air New Zealand has eight more Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order, with the first expected to arrive in 2025.
Geraghty: A Transformative Aircraft…
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said the following on the milestone:
“From day one, customers have been captivated by the Dreamliner’s features. The aircraft was designed with the customer comfort experience front of mind.”
“It introduced the largest electronically dimmable windows of any passenger jet, transformed onboard comfort with the cabin pressurised at 6,000 feet, leaving passengers feeling fresher and better rested when flying on the Dreamliner, and featured an onboard turbulence management system for a smoother ride.”
“The Dreamliner was a crucial aircraft in the expansion of our network.”
“Its design and fuel efficiency mean it’s the perfect aircraft for ultra long haul travel.”
“Because of the Dreamliner, we were able to expand our network in 2022 to include our flagship route to New York.”
“We will soon become the first airline in the world to fully retrofit a Dreamliner nose to tail.”
“This means we will begin introducing our brand new cabin interiors on our existing aircraft, including our redesigned Business Premier cabin, a brand new hard shell Premium Economy seat, and updated product throughout Economy.”
“In 2025, we’re expecting the delivery of our first new Dreamliner from Boeing.”
“Our first aircraft will include our new interior products and will have the added bonus of the highly anticipated Skynest.”
“We know our customers are eagerly anticipating the next evolution of our Dreamliners and we can’t wait for them to experience our most innovative aircraft to date.”
Overall…
In conclusion, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been a vital asset for flights, growth and transformation at Air New Zealand.
Furthermore, it is clearly an aircraft the airline continues to be a big part of their future strategy.
With eight more units on the way, this will enable both renewal but additional growth in due time.
But for now, all eyes will be on what the next 10 years will look like for the airline with the aircraft type.
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