Shanghai and Tokyo will be key long-haul destinations for Air New Zealand's new 787-9 aircraft, which the national carrier says will be a game-changer.
Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the 787-9, the first of which is due to roll off the production line at Boeing in Seattle next month.
Design and production delays had pushed back delivery to Air New Zealand and other airlines by up to four months. Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxton said the modern flexible fuel-efficient aircraft would replace the current fleet of Boeing 767s.''
It also represents a significant growth opportunity for our business and opens up the prospect of expanding our Pacific Rim footprint.''
Given the new aircraft would be multipurpose, operating both long and mid-haul sections to destinations such as Perth, Honolulu and Papeete, much research had been put into designing the four distinct seating selections he said.
The business premier cabin had a leather armchair, which converted into a lay-flat bed with a memory foam mattress; the premium economy cabin had leather ''business-lite'' seats; and the standard economy would include slimline seat backs, sculptured upholstering and a more flexible headrest. Economy would also have Skycouch seats - a row of three seats that converted into a sofa.
Air New Zealand would get 10 of the 787-9s over four years, The New Zealand Herald reported from Seattle.
The first model of the aircraft, the 787-8 series, was plagued by delays in the design and building phase and since entering service had been hit by further problems, including smouldering batteries which led to 50 planes being grounded for three months.
Craigs Investment Partners Chris Timms said the biggest advantage of the new aircraft would come from fuel savings. Despite a large capital cost for the airline, the improved efficiency should translate straight to the bottom line.
In a recent earnings update, Craigs pointed to the strength of the New Zealand dollar as a favourable factor for Air New Zealand, particularly when buying fuel.
Yesterday, Mr Timms said the falling dollar had a dual effect on the company. While a lower currency would affect its fuel purchases, depending on how much hedging the company had in place, the lower dollar encouraged tourists to think again about New Zealand as a holiday destination.
In a May market-conditions update, Air New Zealand said it carried 960,000 passengers during the month, 5.6% more than in May last year.
Revenue passenger kilometres increased 3.7% on a capacity increase of 1.2%. Short-haul passenger numbers were up 6% on May last year. Domestic demand increased 9.9%, while capacity increased 3.3%. Domestic loading increased to nearly 84%.
Tasman-Pacific demand increased 2.5%, with capacity increasing 2%, reflecting the additional frequency on the Auckland-Honolulu route and the increased aircraft size on the Auckland-Perth route.
Long-haul passenger numbers increased 2%, with demand up 2.6%. Capacity increased 0.2% and the load factor increased 1.8% to 80.5%.
