Air New Zealand’s last 747 flight touched down in Auckland on September 12, 2014 — flight NZ7 from San Francisco, flown by ZK-NBV “Christchurch.” No 747 has flown for the airline since. Here’s what replaced it and what to book instead.
No — Air New Zealand has not flown the 747 since September 12, 2014, when flight NZ7 from San Francisco landed in Auckland for the last time. The 777-300ER and 787-9 replaced it on long-haul routes. If a seat map or review shows an Air New Zealand 747, it is more than a decade out of date.
Air New Zealand ordered its first five 747-200s in 1980 to open nonstop Auckland–Los Angeles flying, and named them after ancestral Māori waka. The 747-400 took over long-haul duties from 1989. The final aircraft, ZK-NBV, carried the name “Christchurch” in recognition of the type’s role flying relief and evacuations after the 2011 earthquake — and logged 67,552 flight hours before its farewell run.
The 777-300ER and 787-9 took over the network, and they are where your seat decision actually matters today.
Air New Zealand 777-300ER seat guide · Air New Zealand 787-9 Dreamliner seat guide
No. Last flight September 12, 2014 (NZ7, San Francisco–Auckland). None since.
777-300ER and 787-9; the 787-9 entered service the same year the last 747 left.
Stale data. Any Air NZ 747 seat map is 10+ years old; check the aircraft type on your booking and use the current guide.
