Specifications

Description

ZK-NZE is the first of ten 787-9s on order for Air New Zealand. It was delivered on 10-11 July 2014 direct from Seattle to Auckland. It then spent three weeks on the ground at Auckland doing simulated ‘flights’, where actual operations including refuelling, flight crew on board, and Air New Zealand staff volunteering as ‘passengers’ and receiving full meal service. The first flight post-delivery was a non-revenue flight Auckland-Sydney-Auckland on 25 July 2014, followed by a few domestic non-revenue flights. The first revenue service was 9 August 2014, when ZK-NZE replaced the 767-300ER/777-200ER on NZ103 Auckland to Sydney. It then operated daily on the Auckland – Sydney route until 11 September 2014.