"More You Promote, More You Lose"... Korean Air Begins Disposition of Large 'Sky-High Hotel'

Starting 'Part-Out' for A380 by Dismantling and Recycling Parts
Total of 3 Aircraft Planned... Proceeding Sequentially
Decline in Popularity of Large Aircraft... Decision to Convert to Parts Due to Difficulty in Sale

Korean Air is starting the disposal process of dismantling the superjumbo aircraft A380, once called the "hotel in the sky," to salvage parts. The superjumbo aircraft had become inefficient due to high maintenance and operating costs, to the extent that it was said to be "a loss the more it flies." This marks Korean Air's full-scale effort to reorganize its fleet focusing on medium- to long-haul aircraft.

According to industry sources on the 12th, Korean Air will soon carry out the "part-out" process for three A380-800 aircraft. Part-out refers to dismantling aircraft that are no longer in use to utilize the parts for inventory or sale. Unlike the usual disposal methods of returning leased aircraft to lessors or selling them to other airlines, Korean Air has decided to dismantle them entirely. A Korean Air official explained, "Since these are large aircraft, parting out one plane takes several months," adding, "We will proceed sequentially, one aircraft at a time."

This is the first time Korean Air is conducting a part-out of the A380. The A380, manufactured by Airbus, is the world's largest aircraft, known as the hotel in the sky. It typically carries about 500 passengers and up to 850 at maximum capacity, boasting large-scale features such as onboard showers, lounges, and duty-free shops. Introduced in 2005, it was expected to usher in the era of superjumbo aircraft. However, it was discontinued in 2019, only 14 years later, and is considered a commercial failure. This is attributed to the high maintenance and upkeep costs of its four engines and the shift in the airline industry trend from transporting large volumes between hub airports to operating multiple medium-haul direct routes.

An industry insider said, "Technology has advanced enough to operate long-haul flights with just two engines, and operating various direct routes tailored to passenger preferences has become the trend, so the popularity of large aircraft inevitably declined." He added, "Since selling them is difficult and converting them for cargo use is costly, it seems they decided it is better to dismantle them and recover some value from the parts."

With this disposal, Korean Air's A380 fleet will be reduced to a total of seven aircraft (including three leased models). Asiana Airlines currently owns six A380s but has not yet announced any disposal plans.

Korean Air plans to sequentially phase out its superjumbo aircraft. This year, it reported to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport its intention to dispose of three A380s, three Boeing B747-8i aircraft, and one B747-400. Earlier, Chairman Cho Won-tae of Korean Air had also announced in a 2021 interview with an overseas aviation magazine that the two superjumbo models would be disposed of over the next 5 to 10 years. This is interpreted as an effort to improve maintenance efficiency by reducing the variety of aircraft managed and to facilitate easier operation and personnel management.