South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines operates the final passenger flight of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft, dubbed as the “Queen of the Skies”, on Monday, March 25, 2024.
HL7428, a Boeing 747-48E, operated the final flight from Seoul-Incheon to Taipei and back as flight OZ-711 and OZ-712, respectively.
Based on data from FlightRadar24.com, the Asiana Airlines flight departed from Incheon International Airport at 10:15 AM (UTC+9) and touched down at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (UTC+8) after a 2-hour and 9-minute flight.
The 747’s return leg departed from Taipei at 1:34 PM (UTC+8) and arrived back in Seoul-Incheon at 4:26 PM.
Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, a traditional water cannon salute welcomed the final 747 flight.
Worldwide, there are only a handful of Boeing 747-400 passenger operators left: Air China, Atlas Air (unscheduled), Korean Air, Lufthansa, and Mahan Air. As none of these carriers operate 747 flights to South Korea, the country will be left with no passenger 747 operations.
In the past, Asiana Airlines also operated Boeing 747 flights between Seoul-Incheon and Manila.
Asiana’s 747 timeline
Asiana Airlines only ever operated three Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft in its history, excluding those that are operated by its cargo counterpart.
The airline’s first Boeing 747 was introduced to the fleet in June 1993, with the arrival of HL7416. However, the first jumbo jet only stayed with the South Korean carrier for less than five years before being taken up by Qantas.
The second 747, registered HL7418, joined Asiana Airlines’ roster in September 1994. Unlike the first airframe, HL7418 served the carrier until exiting the fleet in 2019. According to Planespotters.net, the airframe is now scrapped.
Meanwhile, HL7428, which operated Asiana’s final 747 flight this week, arrived with the airline in 1998. Similar to HL7418, the airframe was configured with 10 seats in first class, 24 in business class, and 364 in economy class.
Asiana Airlines also operated a fleet of six Boeing 747-400M from 1991 until 2017, before being converted to cargo aircraft for Asiana Cargo. Some of these aircraft are still in operation today.
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