Finally figured out how to do long-haul flights with the 747-8 without tweaking the fuel load in flight! I loaded the tanks to capacity, giving me 83% load and 17% left for passengers and cargo. While not the most realistic load, it opens up a lot more routes, including this one, the longest 747 passenger flight in the world by distance.
Server: Solo
Airline: Korean Air
Aircraft: Boeing 747-8I
Origin: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
Destination: Incheon International Airport, Jung-gu, South Korea (ICN)
Flight Number: KE36
Route: KATL-RKSI
Seat: 48A (Economy)
Time En Route: 15 Hours 51 Minutes
Getting ready to board in Atlanta. Korean Air operates daily to the capital of Georgia as KE35/36, commonly using the 747-8I, although they’ve switched to the 777-300ER this past week. In the past, Korean has also flown the A380 to ATL, although the type has yet to make an appearance since the Pandemic.
Beginning our taxi out for takeoff. Korean Air, once an industry pariah due to its less-than-stellar safety record, with fatal accidents occurring with disturbing regularity before the 1990s, has now become a global leader. In 2025, AirlineRatings.com named the Korean flag carrier the Airline of the Year due to its industry-leading focus on passenger comfort, particularly in economy, where we are for the almost 16-hour flight to Seoul.
Taking off from the longest runway at ATL. This aircraft is one of 6 passenger 747s operated by Korean, one of the last remaining operators of the type in passenger service. Besides these airplanes, KE operates one 747-8I as a VIP transport for the President of South Korea, as well as 7 747-8Fs, 4 747-400ERFs, and 12 777Fs, the freighters being common sights on the Atlanta cargo ramp.
In cruise with my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee visible to the left
Crossing some Alaskan glaciers
The extremely spacious economy seats make passing through a patch of bumpy air over the Bering Sea much more comfortable than you’d expect from anyone’s economy class
Turning onto final for Incheon
Landing in the early evening in Seoul
Exiting the runway, looking at the huge ATC tower
Deplaned at Terminal 2 with a closer look at the tower, the 27th-tallest in the world, 22 spots behind…you guessed it, Atlanta.
Stamp of Approval!
Approval 