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Air New Zealand's first fully retrofitted Dreamliner began its commercial service on May 19. The upgraded 787-9, registered as ZK-NZH, embarked on its inaugural passenger flight from Auckland to Brisbane just before 9:30 a.m. The aircraft returned to Auckland later that day and continued to San Francisco in the evening. It is set to operate regularly on routes connecting Auckland with Brisbane, San Francisco, and Vancouver.
The debut of this next-generation onboard experience was marked by Flight NZ145. CEO Greg Foran mentioned that final adjustments were made to the aircraft until the day before its launch. The retrofit took 184 days and is part of a $35 million project. Six more aircraft are expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with seven additional planes undergoing retrofitting in Singapore in 2026.
The refurbished aircraft includes new interiors such as the Business Premier Luxe seat and updated Business Premier, Premium Economy, and Economy cabins.
