Korean Air will postpone planned retirements of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 747-8s amid ongoing delays in new aircraft deliveries.
Airline chief Walter Cho says Korean will keep operating the two aircraft types “until we get our new planes”, but stops short of disclosing a timeline.
Cho was speaking at a briefing in Seoul, where Korean Air unveiled its new corporate identity ahead of its merger with compatriot Asiana Airlines in two years.
Outlining the extent of delays, Cho says the SkyTeam operator is “about 20 aircraft short” from previous targets, which has impacted its aircraft retirements, as well as its ability to grow capacity.
The airline holds orders for Airbus and Boeing aircraft including the A321neo, A350s, 787s, 737 Max and 777-9s.
“As soon we get those new aircraft, the older [747s and A380s] will be phased out,” says Cho. The airline had previously indicated that the A380 would begin exiting the fleet from 2025, after being in operations for over 12 years, but Cho confirms that plans have been put off indefinitely.
Airline Business data shows Korean operating seven A380s.
Cho acknowledged that keeping the older four-engined jets “will come at a cost” to the airline, but notes: “Even some of the newer…newly-developed aircraft in our fleet have not been meeting their promises on efficiency.”
Korean “is in talks with the manufacturers” over issues like this, says Cho, who stresses that he has “full faith” in both Airbus and Boeing in resolving these delays.
The airline is in a two-year process of integrating with compatriot-turned-subsidiary Asiana Airlines, after successfully completing its acquisition late-2024.
