Air New Zealand has signed contracts to buy eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner airplanes, to be powered by GEnx-1B engines from GE Aviation.

In a statement, the flag carrier said the first new aircraft is expected to join Air New Zealand's fleet by the second half of next year,  with the remainder at intervals through to 2027.

Air New Zealand also has a flexible agreement with Boeing to increase the number of purchased 787-10 Dreamliners from eight to 20.

The agreement also allows the aircraft to be substituted from B787-10 equipment to smaller 787-9s, or a combination of the two models for future fleet and network flexibility.

Air New Zealand has a total fleet size of 115 airplanes with 21 others on order as of April 2019 varying from Bombardier Q300 to Airbus A320 to the Boeing 777-300.

The flag carrier operates a global network that provides passenger and cargo services to, from and within New Zealand to approximately 17 million passengers per year.

Last month, Air New Zealand announced it is extending its joint venture alliance with Cathay Pacific until October 31, 2024, allowing the carriers introduce new routes such as a non-stop seasonal service to Christchurch, and increase frequencies between New Zealand and Hong Kong. 

Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines also announced plans to boost capacity between Auckland and Singapore with an additional 35,000 seats between the end of March and October, commencing in 2020.