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Air New Zealand lifts curtains on new cabin designs for Boeing 777 aircraft
July 16th 2026
Air New Zealand (Air NZ) has unveiled details of its new cabin upgrades being undertaken across its Boeing 777-300ER fleet. Read More » The upgrade program will see the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with new business- and economy-class interiors, giving customers a fresh, more consistent experience across Air New Zealand’s international fleet, the Star Alliance carrier said. “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,” Air NZ Chief Customer & Digital Officer Jeremy O’Brien said. The refreshed Business Premier cabin will feature 44 new Collins Elevation 43" pitch seats that convert to a lie-flat bed, with doors and sliding privacy dividers.
In Economy class, Air NZ will install new ergonomically designed seats from ZIM, along with upgraded inflight entertainment screens. There will be 246 seats in total, two more than in the current layout, including Economy Stretch seats with 35" pitch and Standard Economy seats with 31"-32" pitch.
Premium Economy remains as it is, with the cabins having undergone a refresh program over the past year, including new seat covers and cabin curtains, Air NZ said.
The first 777 is scheduled to be retrofitted in March 2027 and enter service by May 2027. “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,” said O’Brien.
