FLEET - Korean Air to keep A380s and B747s amid delivery delays

Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) will prolong the service of its A380-800s and B747-8s due to delays in the deliveries of new aircraft. Speaking at a media briefing, Korean Air's chief executive Walter Cho said that the airline was "short by about 20 aircraft per manufacturer."

As quoted by Executive Traveller, Cho said that the carrier will phase out its A380s and B747-8s only once the replacement aircraft are delivered. The airline also wants to retire the older B777s it currently operates. The airline originally planned to retire the A380s in 2026, while the B747-8s were to leave the fleet in the early 2030s.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the Korean flag carrier operates seven A380s and six B747-8s. The airline recently acquired a majority stake in Asiana Airlines, which operates a further six A380s. Korean Air's A380s and B747-8s are, on average, 11.3 and 8.7 years old, respectively, while the A380s operated by Asiana are 10 years old on average.

Both carriers are expecting the arrival of a large number of new aircraft. Korean Air is set to receive forty-one A321-200NXs, four A350-900s, twenty-seven A350-1000s, nineteen B737-8s, fourteen B737-10s, and six B787-9s. Meanwhile, Asiana Airlines is set to receive twelve A321-200NXs and fifteen A350-900s.

 CH Aviation

Photo: Duncan Stewart