Air New Zealand has taken delivery of the first Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner at an event in Seattle.
The new aircraft, which is the first to feature ANZ's new limited edition black livery (see news, April 7), will be used on the carrier's Auckland to Perth route from October 15, and later on flights to Shanghai and Tokyo.
Before then, the plane will take its delivery flight to Auckland this week, before heading to the UK to take part in the Farnborough International Airshow, which begins next week.
Air New Zealand's B787-9 is configured with 18 fully-flat Business Premier seats in a herringbone layout, and a separate 21-seat premium economy cabin in a 2-3-2 configuration, each with its own bathroom facilities.
Two economy cabins will accommodate 263 passengers, including 14 rows of the airline's Skycouch.
ANZ has also updated the IFE technology on board the aircraft, with an "app-based touchscreen system" designed in partnership with Panasonic, which includes a Tripadvisor app that the carrier says is a "world exclusive and a first for any airline", allowing passengers to research their destination in-flight.
The carrier has a total of ten B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on order.
Mark Caswell
