China Airlines (CAL) has taken delivery of its first brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which comes equipped with Air New Zealand's "SkyCouch" seats.

First introduced by the Kiwi national carrier five years ago, the so-called "cuddle class" converts a row of three economy class seats into a flat bed. Passengers booking two seats in a row of three can pay a supplementary fee to secure the third seat.

CAL signed a licensing agreement with Air New Zealand in January this year allowing it to use the SkyCouch concept, which it will brand as the "Family Couch". It will now roll out the new seating on all 10 of its new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, deliveries of which will run from now until 2016.

And this is just one of the new cabin concepts being implemented by the Taiwan-based carrier on the long-haul jets. CAL will introduce all new interiors onboard its B777-300ERs, designed by Taiwan's architect Ray Chen. This will include Asian and Western bar and library areas in business class, and in-flight Wi-Fi and seat-to-seat messaging systems in all four cabins.

"The introduction of the Boeing 777-300ER fleet is an important milestone for China Airlines," said CAL's chairman, Huang-Hsiang Sun. "Over the past two years, China Airlines has taken a broad new approach and philosophy to cabin design. In addition to enhancing safety and fuel efficiency, China Airlines is making a pioneering move in the airline industry to incorporate Taiwan's cultural creativity into its cabin interior. I am confident that this will leave a lasting impression on passengers and enhance our competitiveness."

In total, CAL's new B777-300ERs will offer 358 seats in three classes - 40 in business class, 62 in premium economy class and 256 in economy class. All the business class seats covert to form fully-flat beds, and the first 10 rows of the economy cabin will feature fold out into Family Couches.

CAL plans will launch its B777-300ER on the Taipei-Hong Kong route in October 2014, before commencing long-haul services to destinations including Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

Related News:

    Boeing, China Airlines Celebrate Delivery of Airline's First 777-300ER