Air New Zealand shares first look at new cabin designs for Boeing 777 aircraft
The upgrade programme will see the airline's Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with new Business Premier and Economy interiors, and give customers a fresh, more consistent experience across Air New Zealand's international fleet.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer & Digital Officer Jeremy O'Brien says the investment aims to ensure the airline delivers a product that meets customer needs now and into the future. Ongoing maintenance and production costs have also been factored into the upgrades.
"Our current Business Premier and Economy cabins have served us exceptionally well since we welcomed the first 777-300ER into our fleet in late 2010, however the time is right to raise the bar once again. Alongside our retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners, these upgrades will deliver a more consistent experience across Air New Zealand's international fleet, with a design and production standard that matches the world-class Kiwi service we're proud to provide onboard.
"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."
New onboard experience for 777 fleet
Business Premier
The refreshed Business Premier cabin will feature new Collins Elevation seats, offering customers more personal space, comfort and privacy, in a forward-facing layout.
"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," says O'Brien.
Key features include:
- 44 seats (unchanged from current layout)
- 43" pitch seats that convert to a lie-flat bed
- All seats will have doors for enhanced privacy
- Centre seats have sliding privacy dividers
- 18" inflight entertainment screens with Bluetooth audio connectivity
- USB A and USB C connection
Economy
Customers travelling in Economy will enjoy new ergonomically designed seats from ZIM, along with upgraded inflight entertainment screens.
Key features include:
- 246 seats (two additional seats compared to the current layout)
- Economy Stretch seats with 35" pitch
- Standard Economy seats with 31"-32" pitch
- 13" inflight entertainment screens with Bluetooth audio connectivity
- USB C connection
Premium Economy remains as it is currently, with the cabins having gone through a refresh programme over the past year, with new seat covers and cabin curtains.
The first 777 is scheduled to be retrofitted in March 2027, and in service by May 2027.
Download images of the new cabin interiors here.
Notes to editor
The overall layout of passenger accommodation (LOPA) will remain 342 seats, with minor adjustments to accommodate the new Business Premier product.
- Two Premium Economy seats will be removed (52 seats total)
- Two additional Economy seats will be added (246 seats total including 16 Skycouch rows)
ENDS
Issued by Air New Zealand Communications
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │ Phone: +64 21 747 320
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 9.9 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. In 2026, the airline flew more than 16 million passengers. Air New Zealand was named 2025 World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, the Pacific Islands, Asia and North America, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with more than 4 million members. It allows members to earn Airpoints Dollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey.
The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.
Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 16,000 daily flights to almost 1,200 airports in 186 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partners Juneyao Airlines and THAI Smile Airways.
For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com