China Airlines unveils new 787 Premium Economy seats

China Airlines has unveiled its new Premium Economy Class which will be featured onboard its its brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Unveiled at COMPUTEX 2026 held at Taipei, Taiwan, China Airlines said the revamped cabin design both maintains what it calls “The Theme of Oriental Aesthetics” but is also imbued with touches of home through distinctive local scenery and cultural motifs, creating a familiar feel with new surprises.

Inspired by the theme “Starlit Mountain City,” China Airlines 787s will have 28 Premium Economy Class seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Each seat has a 6-way headrest with integrated surround shielding providing passengers both privacy and comfort, a rose-gold reading lamp, and a leather footrest under the seat.

The tray table keeps the persimmon wood grain identification system used across the airline’s fleet, with anti-slip surface coating. It can also be used as a mobile phone and tablet stand. 

Images: China Airlines' new Premium Economy seats onboard the new 787s. Credit: China Airlines 

Each Premium Economy seat will have a 15.6” 4K high-definition screen, and smart devices can be connected via Bluetooth.

“China Airlines aimed to create a premium flying experience through its heartfelt upgrades to the Premium Economy Class products. In addition to thoughtful services such as lightweight porcelain utensils, individually packaged napkins, two-toned blankets, slippers, and noise-reducing over-ear headphones, complimentary Wi-Fi offering a service level consistent with Business Class with support for unlimited web browsing and messaging is available.”

In a report by the Taipei Times posted on June 3, China Airlines President Kevin Chen said: “We are seeing an increasing demand for premium economy-class seats and will gradually upgrade facilities.” Chen added. “The first Boeing 787 aircraft would be first deployed for regional flights, such as Seoul and Osaka. It would later be dispatched for medium and long-haul flights.”

The Taipei, Taiwan-based airline placed an order with Boeing for up to 24 787 Dreamliners in September 2022 – including a firm order for 16 787-9s. The airline then exercised the options for an additional 8 787-9s the following year in 2023, and converted orders for six of the aircraft to the bigger 787-10s.

China Airlines will use the 787s to replace its current fleet of Airbus A330s.