Korean Air is among the last airlines still flying the iconic Boeing 747, but it is scheduled to pull the jet from a particularly long US route in 2025.
Route scheduling data from the aviation analytics company Cirium shows Korean Air plans to stop flying the 747 on its 7,153-mile (11,511km) route from Seoul to Atlanta – the longest 747 passenger flight by distance – in March. It will replace the 747 with the smaller Boeing 777-300ER, which has fewer seats.
Korean Air’s 777 carries up to 291 passengers, depending on the configuration, compared with 368 seats on the double-decker 747.
The airline may sell more upgraded seats on the 777 to make up for fewer tickets sold per flight. Most of Korean Air’s scheduled 777 flights to Atlanta are equipped with more high-value first- and business-class seats than the 747.
The carrier is expected to fly the 747 to New York, Los Angeles and Singapore next year but plans to retire the fleet fully by 2031. Reuters reported that Korean Air sold five Boeing 747s in May for US$674 million as part of its phase-out plan.