Air New Zealand is set to enhance its long-haul travel offerings with a significant increase in seating capacity, particularly focusing on premium options and routes to North America. The airline plans to introduce more than 34,000 additional seats for North American routes and an increase of 20,500 premium seats across its long-haul network by the end of the year. This expansion will be supported by the deployment of up to seven newly retrofitted 787 Dreamliners.
The airline will operate 8% more seats to the United States and Canada compared to last year, including a 15% boost in premium seating. Air New Zealand's Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy O'Brien highlighted the growing demand for travel and premium cabin services. "We're seeing strong demand, including growing popularity of our premium cabins," he said. "Customers want a more comfortable and seamless experience, and we are responding by increasing premium availability and growing flight frequencies across our long haul network."
O'Brien also noted that as more retrofitted aircraft enter service throughout the year, customers traveling to destinations like San Francisco, Honolulu, Vancouver, and Shanghai can expect a refreshed inflight experience. "The feedback so far has been fantastic," he added.