Air New Zealand’s eight 777-200ERs flew their final services in early 2020 — grounded when New Zealand’s borders closed and never recalled from storage. The airline formally retired the type in August 2020. The 787-9 and 777-300ER run the routes today.
No — Air New Zealand’s 777-200 fleet flew its last services in early 2020 and never returned from storage. The airline confirmed the retirement in August 2020 without the aircraft re-entering service. The 787-9 and 777-300ER cover all long-haul routes now. Any 777-200 seat map or guide for Air New Zealand is five or more years out of date.
Air New Zealand took delivery of eight 777-200ERs from 2000, deploying them on trans-Pacific routes including Auckland–Los Angeles and Auckland–San Francisco. The 787-9 began taking over those routes from 2014, and the 777-200ERs were among the first aircraft grounded in March 2020 as New Zealand’s borders closed.
The 777-200ERs never returned from storage. Air New Zealand confirmed the retirement in August 2020, taking a NZ$227m impairment charge on the fleet. The 787-9 and 777-300ER run all of Air New Zealand’s long-haul network today.
Air New Zealand 777-300ER seat guide · Air New Zealand 787-9 Dreamliner seat guide
No. The fleet flew its final services in early 2020 and was formally retired in August 2020. The 777-300ER and 787-9 cover all long-haul routes.
The COVID-19 pandemic grounded the fleet permanently — New Zealand’s border closure removed the long-haul demand that would have justified returning them. Air New Zealand confirmed the retirement in August 2020 and wrote off NZ$227m.
The 787-9 Dreamliner had already taken over many routes from 2014. The 777-300ER covers the largest long-haul services.
