Air New Zealand has unveiled its new cabin interior featuring Business Premier seats designed and manufactured with Safran Seats.
Due to enter service in 2024 on the 787-9 fleet, the concept is designed to create a ‘home away from home’ experience and includes two choices in Business: a private nest, with a fully closing door, and a space for two people to dine or share the space.
The herringbone configuration ensures easy aisle access and the high shells combined with adjustable aisle and centre dividers contribute to privacy. Wireless charging is integrated into the seat.
Air New Zealand head of aircraft programmes, Kerry Reeves, says: “We really encouraged Safran to think differently and push the boundaries with what we can do with the Business Premier seat to optimise the configuration and customer experience. Working virtually throughout Covid added
another layer of complexity. Without being able to travel to the Safran site to validate our ideas and concepts, we paralleled the mock-up build both in New Zealand at our innovation lab and at Safran to ensure we had a common design interpretation and valid feedback on the engineering development of the layout and features.”
Vincent Mascré, CEO of Safran Seats, adds: “These seats are the fruit of incredible work between our companies and it will allow a better journey for all
their passengers. The creation of this seat displays the remarkable capabilities between Air New Zealand and the experienced Safran Seats teams based in United Kingdom”.
