Jowon Tae: "Operation of Large Aircraft like A380 to Cease Within 10 Years"

Improving Conversion Efficiency with Medium-Sized Equipment

Chairman Cho Won-tae of Hanjin Group is attending the 32nd Korea-US Business Council General Meeting held at the Federation of Korean Industries Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Korean Air plans to discontinue the operation of large passenger aircraft models A380-800 and B747-8i within the next 10 years. The airline aims to enhance fleet efficiency by transitioning to medium-to-large aircraft instead of large passenger planes.

On the 20th, Korean Air Chairman Cho Won-tae stated in an interview with the global aviation magazine FlightGlobal, "We will phase out the A380 from Korean Air within 5 years, and the B747-8i will follow within 10 years."

Korean Air currently operates 10 units each of the A380-800 (407 seats) and B747-8i (368 seats). Asiana Airlines, which is about to merge, owns 6 A380-800 aircraft. The A380-800, known as the "7-star hotel in the sky," was introduced in 2011, and the B747-8i, another representative large passenger aircraft, has been in service since 2015.

Korean Air explained that it is preparing to switch to medium-sized aircraft to improve fleet efficiency. Since it is difficult to operate with all 400 seats filled, the plan is to operate mainly aircraft with around 300 seats.

The medium-sized B787 is expected to be the main replacement for the retired large aircraft. Both the B787 and the B777, which are in the same class, are capable of long-haul flights to destinations such as the U.S. East Coast and are excellent in terms of efficiency. Korean Air currently owns 10 B787s and 42 B777s.

According to industry sources, the B787 is evaluated to have 20-25% higher fuel efficiency per seat compared to similar aircraft and emits 20% less carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Additionally, although Korean Air signed a contract with Boeing in 2015 to acquire 50 units of the 737 Max, delivery has not yet occurred due to safety concerns.

Chairman Cho said, "We need to observe the Boeing 777X a bit longer," adding, "Since we have already ordered and are operating many aircraft, there does not seem to be much demand for new aircraft in the near future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.