NZ Dreamliner likely to operate AKL PVG as first route June 2014.

[markis10]

Interesting first route selection!

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/avd_06_05_2013_p03-02-585063.xml

Air New Zealand, the launch customer for the Boeing 787-9, expects first delivery of the aircraft to occur in June or July next year.


This is the most specific prediction the airline has given for the 787-9’s arrival. Another two widebodies are due to be delivered to Air New Zealand later in 2014, and are set to arrive around September, said CEO Christopher Luxon at a Star Alliance event during the International Air Transport Association’s annual general meeting in Cape Town.


The carrier has 10 787-9s on order.


Luxon says a final decision on the 787-9’s first route will be made in the next few months. However, he says it is most likely to be introduced on the airline’s existing service between Auckland Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. New routes designed for the 787 probably will not be launched until 2015, says Luxon.

 

[docjames]

Interesting.

Other fourms (cough, anet, cough) constantly critique poor yields on this route so interesting choice for 1st use.

Wonder how many domestic runs the first deliveries will do to get up to speed?

 

[Fruitcake]

Other fourms (cough, anet, cough) constantly critique poor yields on this route so interesting choice for 1st use.

But surely the aircraft with apparently much lower per-seat operating costs would be exactly what you'd want on a low-yield route?

The opposite of QF3/4 - people are willing to pay through the nose for a seat to HNL, so it's better for QF to deploy the relatively less efficient 767 on the route.