Boeing and Air New Zealand have announced the airline plans to add the largest 787 Dreamliner model to its world-class fleet with a commitment to buy eight 787-10 airplanes valued at US$2.7 billion at list prices.  The carrier says the 787-10 complements its current 787-9 and 777 fleet by offering more seats and greater efficiency to grow its business.

“This is a hugely important decision for our airline. With the 787-10 offering around 15% more space for both customers and cargo than the 787-9, this investment creates the platform for our future strategic direction and opens up new opportunities to grow,” said Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon. “The 787-10 is longer and even more fuel efficient. However, the game changer for us has been that by working closely with Boeing, we’ve ensured the 787-10 will meet our network needs, including the ability to fly missions similar to our current 777-200 fleet.”

The 787-10 is the largest member of the super-efficient and passenger-pleasing Dreamliner family. At 224 feet long (68 meters), the 787-10 can serve up to 330 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, about 40 more than the 787-9 airplane. Powered by a suite of new technologies and a revolutionary design, the 787-10 set a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics when it entered commercial service last year.  The airplane allows operators to achieve 25% better fuel efficiency per seat compared to the previous airplanes.

Air New Zealand was a global launch customer for the 787-9 and today operates 13 of the Dreamliner variant. With another 787-9 on the way and the 787-10 airplanes in the future, the airline’s Dreamliner fleet will grow to 22. Air New Zealand’s widebody fleet also includes seven 777-300ERs and eight 777-200ERs, which it is progressively replacing with the aircraft order announced today.

As part of its efforts to maintain an efficient and reliable fleet, Air New Zealand utilizes a number of Boeing Global Services solutions, including Airplane Health Management. This digital solution applies analytics to real-time airplane data, providing maintenance data and decision support tools that enable aircraft maintenance teams to increase operational efficiency.