Air Premia removes seats from 787-9 to expand pitch in economy class
Air Premia completed (16-Mar-2026) work to reconfigure one Boeing 787-9 (HL8701) to 326 seats, down from 344 seats, in order to increase the economy class pitch from 31in to 33in. The airline plans to complete works to expand the economy class seat pitch on all aircraft in its fleet to 33in or more by the end of 2026. Air Premia stated it is "committed to continuously improving seat space and the cabin environment so that passengers travelling on long-haul routes can enjoy a more comfortable journey". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Air Premia’s fleet growth lifted it to nine Boeing 787-9s after a delivery on 21-Dec-2025, with that aircraft configured with 35 premium economy and 291 economy seats.1 Air Premia chief strategy officer and EVP Park Kwang-eun said it considered Airbus widebodies such as A330-900 and A350-900 to mitigate Boeing 787 delivery delays, alongside evaluating a shift towards narrowbodies for Asian routes.2 Air Premia previously raised economy pitch from 31in to 33in on two 787-9s, cutting seats from 338 to 320, while three other aircraft had 35in pitch in economy.3