Asiana Airlines is to retire its sole Boeing 747-400 by the end of March, marking the end of 747 operations for the South Korean carrier.
Confirming the retirement, Asiana says the aircraft (HL7428, MSN28552) will be deployed on one flight a day between Seoul Incheon and Taipei until its retirement.
Between 1 and 25 March, the aircraft will operate flight OZ711/OZ712, states Asiana. That flight is currently operated by 777-200s, according to the airline’s schedule.
The 747 was delivered to Asiana in 1999 on lease from GECAS, with the Star Alliance carrier taking ownership in 2005. It is powered by four GE Aviation CF6 turbofans, and is configured to seat 398 passengers in three classes.
The 747 was parked in Seoul in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but briefly returned to service in the second half of 2020.
In May 2022 it was parked again, but rejoined the operating fleet in July, where it was then deployed to operate flights to Changchun in northeastern China.
According to Cirium fleets data, the remaining passenger -400 operator is Air China, which has one example operating a number of domestic flights. Some operators – including Air India, Qantas and Thai Airways International – retired the type at the height of the pandemic, when passenger travel demand plummeted amid border closures.
Asiana compatriot Korean Air operates 747-8s.
