Air New Zealand fleet

Last updated

The Air New Zealand fleet consists of Boeing jet aircraft for long-haul flights, and Airbus jet aircraft for domestic and short-haul international flights. The airline also operates ATR 72 and Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft on domestic services.

Contents

Current fleet

As of October 2023, the airline's fleet consists of the following aircraft. [1]

Air New Zealand fleet
AircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes
C+CWYTotal
Airbus A320-200 17171171
Airbus A320neo 6165165
Airbus A321neo 115 [2] [3] 214214International configuration [4]
217217Domestic configuration [5]
ATR 72-600 292 [3] 6868
Beta Alia eCTOL 1 [6] To be Air New Zealand's first electric powered aircraft
Boeing 777-300ER 8 [7] 1 [8] 4454244342To be retired and replaced by the Boeing 787 in 2027. [9] [10]
Boeing 787-9 14 [11] 8 [12] 2733215275Launch customer. [13]
1821263302
84252125227New cabin layout from 2024. [14]
42233213272
De Havilland Dash 8-300 235050Largest operator of its type.
Total10817

The Boeing customer code for Air New Zealand was 19, which was inherited from the National Airways Corporation on its merger with Air New Zealand in 1978 (Air New Zealand itself did not own any Boeing aircraft before 1978). This means a Boeing 777-300ER built for Air New Zealand was designated a 777-319ER. Since the introduction of the Boeing 787, Boeing no longer uses customer codes.

Fleet development

Airbus A320-200

Air New Zealand introduced the Airbus A320-200 in 2003, the first non-Boeing aircraft in its jet fleet since the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was withdrawn in 1982. The A320-200 was introduced to replace the Boeing 767-200ER and Boeing 737-300 on short-haul international routes to eastern Australia and the Pacific Islands.

On 3 November 2009, Air New Zealand announced it would purchase fourteen more Airbus A320-200 aircraft to replace the Boeing 737-300 fleet on domestic routes. This allowed the airline to have a single aircraft family operating on all short-haul flights. [15]

The international A320s were originally fitted with 8 business class seats and 144 economy class seats; in 2010 they were refitted with a 168-seat all-economy cabin to coincide with a new fare structure on flights to Australia and the Pacific Islands. The domestic A320s were fitted in a 171-seat all-economy configuration at entry into service.

Airbus A320neo and A321neo

At the start of June 2014, Air New Zealand announced it would be placing a NZ$1.6 billion order with Airbus for thirteen Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo aircraft. The aircraft will replace the airline's older Airbus A320s. [16] [17] The airline selected the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan engine to power its A320neo fleet. [18] In June 2017, delivery of the A320neo aircraft was delayed until 2018 due to delivery and mechanical issues with the Pratt & Whitney engines. [19] In August 2018, Air New Zealand announced it was ordering seven more A321neo aircraft, taking the total order to six A320neos and fourteen A321neos. [2]

The airline's first A321neo was unveiled on 26 September 2018 and arrived in Auckland on 5 November. [20] The aircraft entered revenue service on 23 November 2018, operating between Auckland and Brisbane. [21]

ATR 72-600

On 10 December 2019, subsidiary Mount Cook Airline was dissolved and merged into the main Air New Zealand airline. As a result, Air New Zealand acquired Mount Cook's fleet of twenty-seven ATR 72-600 aircraft.

Boeing 777-300ER

Air New Zealand introduced the Boeing 777-300ER in 2010 to replace the Boeing 747-400 on long-haul routes. The model was introduced to the flagship London HeathrowLos Angeles – Auckland route (NZ1/NZ2) in April 2011.

The 777-300ER was the first aircraft to feature the Economy Skycouch and the Premium Economy Spaceseat. As introduced, the aircraft had 338 seats – 44 business, 50 premium economy, 60 Economy Skycouch seats and 192 regular economy seats.[ clarification needed ] Shortly after the introduction, one premium economy row was removed, reducing the premium economy seats to 44 and the total seats onboard to 332.[ citation needed ]

Air New Zealand refurbished the 777-300ER fleet in 2017. The Premium Economy Spaceseat product was phased out and replaced with the Premium Economy product as found on the 777-200ER and the 787-9, with recliner seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. The refit increased the number of premium economy seats from 44 to 54 and the total seats from 332 to 342. [22]

In July 2018, Air New Zealand dry-leased an EVA Air 777-300ER as temporary cover due to ongoing issues with Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 fleet. [23]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Air New Zealand put its 777-300ER fleet into storage. Air New Zealand has confirmed it will only return six 777-300ER aircraft to its fleet, [1] with one stored 777-300ER to be returned to the lessor in 2022. [24] One aircraft, ZK-OKQ, returned to service in February 2022. [25] In May 2022, ZK-OKN, returned to service.

Boeing 787-9

In 2004 the airline ordered eight Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as the launch customer for the 787-9 model, with options on ten more. These were originally intended to be delivered beginning in late 2010, [26] but significant developmental delays in the base 787-8 model pushed delivery of the 787-9 out to mid-2014. In February 2013, Air New Zealand exercised two options to bring the order to ten, and on 8 December 2014 exercised two more to bring the order to twelve. In February 2017, Air New Zealand announced with Air Lease Corporation a long-term lease for one new 787-9. It was scheduled to be delivered during the third quarter of 2018. The last 787-9 was expected to be delivered in late 2018. [27]

The first aircraft was handed over to Air New Zealand on 8 July 2014 at the Everett plant and arrived in Auckland three days later. [28] The first 787-9 service operated on 9 August 2014, from Auckland to Sydney and return. [29] The first nine 787-9 aircraft delivered are fitted with 18 Business, 21 Premium Economy, 42 Economy Skycouch and 221 standard economy seats, totalling 302 seats. The last five have a higher premium seating configuration, with 27 Business, 33 Premium Economy, 39 Economy Skycouch and 176 standard economy seats, totalling 275 seats. [22]

Air New Zealand's 787-9 fleet uses the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. Owing to blade cracking in the engines, Air New Zealand in 2018 altered schedules and dry-leased two Boeing 777-200ER from Singapore Airlines and a Boeing 777-300ER from EVA Air. As of June 2019, the airline was still waiting for the issue to be rectified and return the aircraft to service. These events continue to have a financial impact on the airline. [30] [31] [32] [ as of? ]

Boeing 787-10

In June 2017, Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon announced the airline was investigating new aircraft to eventually replace the 777-200ER fleet. Long-list replacement options included the Boeing 777X, the Boeing 787-10, and the Airbus A350 XWB. [19] An RFP for replacement aircraft was issued in August 2018. [33]

On 27 May 2019, Air New Zealand announced that they would be purchasing eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, with the first aircraft expected to enter service in 2022. The order included twelve options for additional Boeing 787-9 or Boeing 787-10 aircraft. [34] The 787-10 will be fitted with General Electric GEnx engines, in contrast to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to the airline's 787-9 fleet. [35] On 24 September 2019, Air New Zealand officially signed the order for the 787-10. [36]

On 28 August 2020, Air New Zealand announced that they will likely be replacing their seven Boeing 777-300ERs with six Boeing 787-10s, deliveries starting from 2022, resulting in a large down-gauge in overall international capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [37] On 18 June 2021, Air New Zealand announced that the airline had renegotiated the date for the delivery of the first of eight new Boeing 787 Dreamliners to 2024. [38]

De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300

On 19 November 2019, subsidiary Air Nelson was dissolved and merged into the main Air New Zealand airline. As a result, Air New Zealand acquired Air Nelson's fleet of 23 Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft.[ citation needed ]

Historic fleet

In the past, Air New Zealand has flown the following aircraft (not including aircraft solely operated by TEAL and National Airways Corporation, or aircraft operated solely by Air New Zealand Link subsidiaries): [39]

AircraftIntroducedRetiredReplacementNotes
ATR 72-500 19992020ATR 72-600Taken over from Mount Cook Airline
Boeing 737-200 19682001Boeing 737-300Taken over from NAC
Boeing 737-300 19982015Airbus A320-200
Boeing 747-200B 19812000Boeing 747-400One hijacked as Air New Zealand Flight 24
Boeing 747-400 19902014Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 767-200ER 19852005Airbus A320-200
Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767-300ER 19912017Boeing 787-9
Boeing 777-200ER 20052021Boeing 787-9Premature retirement due to COVID-19 pandemic
British Aerospace BAe 146-200 20012002Boeing 737-300Taken over from Ansett New Zealand
British Aerospace BAe 146-300
Douglas DC-8-52 19651981McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30One aircraft continued to operate after conversion to DC-8F-54 freighter configuration.
Douglas DC-8F-54 19811989NoneConverted from DC-8-52 passenger aircraft
Fokker F27-100 Friendship 19601980Fokker F27-500 FriendshipTaken over from NAC.
Fokker F27-500 Friendship 19751990Boeing 737-300Some were taken over from NAC.
1 crashed as Air New Zealand Flight 4374
Lockheed L-188 Electra 19591972Douglas DC-8-52Taken over from TEAL
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 19731982Boeing 747-200B1 crashed as Flight 901. [40]

Fleet as of 1 April 1978

The following was the Air New Zealand fleet on 1 April 1978, the day the merged Air New Zealand and National Airways Corporation began operating. [41]

Air New Zealand fleet, 1 April 1978
AircraftIn ServiceNotes
Boeing 737-200 8
Fokker F27-100 13
Fokker F27-500 4
Douglas DC-8-52 3
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 8
Total36

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing 777</span> Wide-body, long-range, twin-engine jet airliner family

The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long-range wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777 is the world's largest twinjet and the most-built wide-body airliner. The jetliner was designed to bridge the gap between Boeing's other wide body airplanes, the twin-engined 767 and quad-engined 747, and to replace aging DC-10 and L-1011 trijets. Developed in consultation with eight major airlines, the 777 program was launched in October 1990, with an order from United Airlines. The prototype was rolled out in April 1994, and first flew in June. The 777 entered service with the launch operator United Airlines in June 1995. Longer-range variants were launched in 2000, and first delivered in 2004.

Air New Zealand Limited is the flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily within the Pacific Rim. The airline has been a member of the Star Alliance since 1999.

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. As of April 2023, the airline has approximately 12,800 employees. The airline joined as a Star Alliance member in October 1999.

EVA Airways Corporation is a Taiwanese airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately-owned airline operates passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe & North America. Its network fully consists of international routes, with no domestic routes. It is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and is the second largest airline based in Taiwan after China Airlines. EVA Air is headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport in Luzhu, Taoyuan City. The company slogan is "Sharing the World, Flying Together".

Singapore Airlines operates a predominantly widebody fleet, until the second re-introduction of the Boeing 737 in March 2021 following the merger with SilkAir. The airline also operates Boeing 747-400F and Boeing 777F freighters. As of December 2023, there were 161 aircraft registered in the Singapore Airlines fleet, comprising 149 passenger aircraft and 12 freighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premium economy class</span> Travel class offered on some airlines

Premium economy class, also known by brand names which vary by company, is a travel class offered on many airlines. It is usually positioned between standard economy class and business class in terms of price, comfort, and available amenities. In 1991, EVA Air was the first to introduce Evergreen Class, becoming the first airline to offer this class of service. It was widely acknowledged that the premium economy class has become a standard reflection of what the Business Class was like several decades ago. In some countries, this class has emerged as a response from governments and companies requiring economy class for travel done by staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines fleet</span> Extensive overview of American Airlines airplanes current and historic

As of January 2024, the American Airlines fleet consists of 957 mainline aircraft, making it the second-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. American Airlines operates aircraft manufactured by Boeing and Airbus.

As of March 2024, Air India operates a fleet of both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft with a fleet consisting of Airbus A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350 as well as the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, making for a total of 135 aircraft.

The Emirates fleet is composed of two wide-bodied aircraft families, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777. The airline also has the Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777X and Boeing 787 aircraft on order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoot</span> Singaporean low-cost airline

Scoot Pte Ltd, operating as Scoot, is a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. It began its operations on 4 June 2012 on medium and long-haul routes from Singapore, predominantly to various airports throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Scoot's airline slogan is Escape the Ordinary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Airlines fleet</span> Fleet of United Airlines

As of March 2024, the United Airlines fleet consists of 949 mainline aircraft, making it the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. United Airlines operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing narrowbody and all Boeing widebody aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First class (aviation)</span> Commercial passenger travel service level in aviation

First class is a travel class on some passenger airliners intended to be more luxurious than business class, premium economy, and economy class. Originally all planes offered only one class of service, with a second class appearing first in 1955 when TWA introduced two different types of service on its Super Constellations.

Qantas operates a fleet of Airbus A330, Airbus A380, Boeing 737 and Boeing 787 making a total of 125 aircraft. This list excludes subsidiaries Jetstar, QantasLink and Qantas Freight.

Air France operates a fleet of 216 aircraft, mostly Airbus aircraft. Its narrow-body fleet consists of all-four Airbus A320 family variants, on the other hand the wide-body aircraft of Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 serve as long-haul operations. The airline has also ordered the short-to-medium-haul Airbus A220 to replace their aging Airbus A318s and Airbus A319s. In September 2023, Air France-KLM announced an additional order for 50 Airbus A350s to replace their Airbus A330 and their Boeing 777-200ER.

British Airways operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It operates a single-aisle fleet of Airbus aircraft, including the Airbus A320-200 and the Airbus A320neo. It also operates a twin-aisle aircraft fleet of the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and 787 wide-body aircraft.

Dutch flag-carrier airline KLM operates a fleet of 107 aircraft. The narrow-body fleet is composed of Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft which will be replaced by the Airbus A320neo family aircraft in the mid 2024. Airbus A330, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebody aircraft are used primarily on long-haul flights. In September 2023, Air France-KLM announced an order for 50 Airbus A350s. These will replace the groups’ remaining Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-200ERs, and will be split between Air France and KLM.

Japan Airlines operates a fleet of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.

Philippine Airlines is composed of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from five families : Airbus A320ceo family, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle of the market</span> Segment of airline market

The middle of the market, often abbreviated MoM, is the airliner market between the narrowbody and the widebody aircraft, a market segmentation used by Boeing Commercial Airplanes since at least 2003. Both Airbus and Boeing produce aircraft that serve this segment.

Thai Airways International operates a fleet of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.

References

  1. 1 2 "Operating Fleet". Air New Zealand. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Air NZ commits to taking seven more A321neos". Flight Global. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Air New Zealand adds four new aircraft to Regional and Short Haul fleet". Air New Zealand (Press release). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  4. "Airbus A321neo - Seat maps - Experience | Air New Zealand". www.airnewzealand.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  5. "Airbus A321neo (NZ Domestic) - Seat maps - Experience | Air New Zealand". www.airnewzealand.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. "Air NZ's new battery planes - how far will they fly?". NZ Herald. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  7. "Air New Zealand grows B777 fleet".
  8. "Air New Zealand Interim Financial Results 2024" (PDF).
  9. Carroll, Melanie (15 November 2022). "By the numbers: How Air NZ brings its planes in the desert back to life". Stuff. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  10. "Air New Zealand to operate Dreamliners on all long-haul routes as Boeing 777s phased out". Newshub. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  11. Mrcaviation (28 October 2019). "3rd Level New Zealand: Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZR delivered and enters service". 3rd Level New Zealand. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  12. Esther Taunton and Roeland van den Bergh (10 May 2023). "Air fares set to tumble as Air NZ invests $3.5b in new aircraft and retrofitting fleet". Stuff. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  13. "Air New Zealand shows off stunning, all-black Dreamliner". 9 July 2014.
  14. Bradley, Grant (29 June 2022). "Revealed: Sleep pods, help-yourself food - Air NZ's biggest cabin overhaul in decades". NZ Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  15. Bradley, Grant (4 November 2009). "Air NZ says A320 choice came down to the wire". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  16. Bradley, Grant (2 June 2014). "Air NZ buys planes worth $1.6b". New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  17. Martin, Josh (2 June 2014). "Air NZ to buy 14 new Airbus A320s". Fairfax Media (via Stuff.co.nz). Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  18. Bradley, Grant (24 April 2015). "Air NZ selects new engines for Airbus fleet". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  19. 1 2 Bradley, Grant (6 June 2017). "Air New Zealand to go shopping for new ultra-long range planes". The New Zealand Herald.
  20. Nick Wenzel (3 November 2018). "Air New Zealand adds first Airbus A321neo". International Flight Network. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  21. "Air New Zealand's first A321neo to take flight". Stuff. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  22. 1 2 "Air New Zealand to invest $100m in fleet upgrade". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  23. "Air New Zealand to add a dry-leased B777-300(ER)". Ch-Aviation. 17 July 2018.
  24. "2021 Annual Results Analyst Presentation" (PDF). Air New Zealand.
  25. "Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKQ rescued from the desert, returning to service". Newshub. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  26. "Air NZ orders four more Dreamliners". The New Zealand Herald. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  27. Bradley, Grant (8 December 2014). "Air NZ adds more Dreamliners to its fleet". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  28. Anthony, John (11 July 2014). "Air NZ's 787-9 has landed at Auckland Airport". Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  29. "Air New Zealand operates first 787 service". Australian Aviation. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  30. Taylor, Ellis (28 February 2019). "Air NZ eyes full 787 operations by September". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  31. Warrick, Ambar (9 December 2019). "Air New Zealand flags weaker earnings, citing Rolls-Royce engine issues". www.euronews.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  32. "Air New Zealand's 787-9 Rolls-Royce engines dogged by problems". Australian Aviation. 11 April 2019.
  33. "Air New Zealand issues 777-200 replacement RFP; adds A321neo".
  34. Bradley, Grant (27 May 2019). "Air New Zealand opts for Boeing 787-10s to replace its 777-200s". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  35. "AirNZ announces multi-billion-dollar investment in aircraft - NZX, New Zealand's Exchange". www.nzx.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  36. "Air New Zealand Signs The Paperwork For Its Boeing 787-10 Order". Simple Flying. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  37. "Air New Zealand Mulls Dreamliner-Only Fleet to Meet Covid Horror for Long-Haul Travel". Forbes .
  38. "Air New Zealand Defers Boeing 787-10 Deliveries Until Past 2024". simpleflying.com. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  39. Air New Zealand Company History Archived 21 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  40. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 ZK-NZP Mount Erebus". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  41. "Air New Zealand History, page 16" (PDF). Air New Zealand. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2018.