Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 will take to the skies in October 2014, and we've got the first photos and details of the stretched Dreamliner.

The Kiwi carrier is Boeing's launch customer for the 787-9, which is a larger and longer-range version of the original 787-8 model.

Each of Air New Zealand's ten Boeing 787-9s will see a three-class configuration of 18 seats in business class, 21 in premium economy and 263 in economy.

Business Premier

The pointy end of Air NZ's Boeing 787-9 will see 18 of the familiar Business Premier seats already seen on the airline's flagship Boeing 777s.

The lie-flat seats are arranged in a 1-1-1 herringbone layout so that every passenger has direct aisle access.


The seat is fitted with a 'memory foam' mattress, duvet and two full size pillows.

Premium Economy

Less familiar are the premium economy seats, with Air NZ choosing a more standard 'off the shelf' design instead of its Spaceseat (show below).



The 787-9's premium economy seats have been sourced from US seat designer Zodiac, with Air New Zealand calling them "a customised seat best described as Business-lite."

Arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, the seats have a 41” pitch and 5” wide armrest, with a generous 9" recline, integrated leg rest and extendable foot support.

There are 21 premium economy seats in this stand-alone cabin, which also has its own dedicated bathroom facilities.

Economy

The bulk of Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 is given over to two economy cabins with all seating in a 3-3-3 layout.

This includes 14 Skycouch rows of three seats where the leg rests and armrests flip all the way up to convert into a 'sofa-like' flat surface.

The Skycouch rows have a 33" pitch compared to the 31-32" of standard economy seats.

The rest of the economy cabin will be fitted with a standard economy seat from Zodiac but customised to Air New Zealand's specifications including a slimline seat back for more space, sculpted upholstering and a more flexible headrest.