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Air New Zealand will take delivery of two new A321neo aircraft for international services this month.
The planes, which are configured for Australia and Pacific island flights, are fitted with 214 seats and are expected to add 70,000 seats per year to the airline’s network capacity. The first, ZK-NNH, will arrive on 4 June, with the second expected later in the month.
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“Each aircraft will complete a 19,342 kilometre-journey to Auckland from the Airbus facility in Hamburg, with stopovers in Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, and Cairns,” Air New Zealand said in a press release.
“The aircraft represents the latest innovation in narrow-body jet technology, offering improved efficiency and additional capacity to Air New Zealand’s fleet.”
ZK-NNH will enter service in coming weeks, with the second to begin revenue flights within the next few months. Air New Zealand chief commercial officer Jeremy O’Brien said the new planes are a sign of “momentum” for the airline.
“These new A321neo are a clear sign we’re investing for the future – boosting our international network and delivering more choice for customers. It’s about doing what we do best: connecting Kiwi to the world and bringing visitors to our shores,” he said.
“We’re eagerly anticipating getting these aircraft in the skies. We can’t wait to share more soon about where they will be flying. Watch this airspace.”
The addition of the two new A321neos follows the inaugural flight of Air New Zealand’s first retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliner, ZK-NZH, on 19 May.
According to Air New Zealand, all 14 Dreamliners are expected to complete their retrofits by the end of 2026. The second is currently undergoing its refit in Singapore, with seven expected to be complete by the end of this year.
Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran, who was on the flight, told Australian Aviation that the retrofit, which took around 180 days, has been seven to eight years in the making.
“I’d like to think the second one, which is underway right at the moment, we should be able to do in about 40–45 days, learning from the first one,” Foran said.
“We don’t have to go through the regulatory process again, but we are still, as most people are, working hard on the supply chain, making sure you’ve got seats, making sure you’ve got galleys, making sure you’ve got in-flight entertainment, all those things.”
