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Korean Air extends operation of older jets due to delivery delays

Korean Air extends operation of older jets due to delivery delays
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Korean Air | Wikipedia

Korean Air is set to continue operating its Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 aircraft longer than initially planned due to delays in receiving new planes from manufacturers. The airline's CEO, Walter Cho, had aimed for a 2026 retirement of these aircraft but ongoing delivery issues have pushed back this timeline.

The fleet currently includes six Airbus A380s with an average age of 11.6 years and eighteen Boeing 747-8s averaging 11.9 years in service. In addition, the airline operates forty-six Boeing 777s with an average operational span of 12.3 years.

Walter Cho explained to Executive Traveler that Korean Air is waiting on deliveries from both Airbus and Boeing, specifically twenty aircraft from each manufacturer. After completing its merger with Asiana Airlines, Korean Air will incorporate eight more A380s into its fleet. It remains undecided whether these will be updated to match Korean Air's current interiors.

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The Airbus A380 has been notable for offering two bars for first and business class passengers as well as a duty-free boutique at the rear of the lower deck. Korean Air remains one of only three airlines still flying the Boeing 747-8 variant globally, alongside Air China and Lufthansa.

The airline manages over 160 aircraft across passenger, cargo, and business jet operations. Future expansions include orders for more than forty A321neo aircraft, four Airbus A350-900s, twenty-seven Airbus A350-1000s, along with other models from Boeing such as twenty-four 737 MAX 8s and thirty-one 787-10s expected by 2028.

A notable member of the fleet is HL7644 (serial number 60411), recognized as the last ever built Boeing 747-8I delivered in July 2017 with an eight-year service history.

Korean Air maintains a significant long-haul network supported by its hub at Incheon International Airport and extensive codeshare agreements with several airlines including Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Its direct services reach numerous global destinations spanning continents from Australia to North America.

Domestically within South Korea, data indicates that flights between Jeju and Seoul Gimpo are among the busiest routes worldwide surpassing fourteen million seats annually.

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