On October 31st, 2025, an era possibly came to an end: Korean Air operated its last scheduled 747-8I flight from London’s Heathrow Airport. This comes as part of a larger overall trend of replacing the big quadjet on all but a few high-capacity, high-frequency routes (ICN-LAX, ICN-JFK, ICN-ATL; the latter complemented by twice-daily service on SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines), reflecting a now-15-year general trend within the industry away from aircraft like the 747. Naturally, this flight was a must-do.
Server: Solo
Airline: Korean Air
Aircraft: Boeing 747-8I
Origin: Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom (LHR)
Destination: Incheon International Airport, Jung-gu, South Korea (ICN)
Flight Number: KE908
Route: EGLL-RKSI
Seat: 1J (First Class)
Time En Route: 12 Hours 58 Minutes
Waiting to board our aircraft at Terminal 4’s Gate 6 on a rainy evening in London. Korean Air is currently the third-largest operator of the last generation of Boeing’s most iconic passenger jet, with a total of 5 airframes in service, behind Air China (7) and Lufthansa (19).
Taxiing across Runway 27L. Getting our camera set up for recording with the wing in-frame was a bit tricky due to how far forward of it we are, as we’re seated in the nose in front of the cockpit. Yes, on 747s, you can actually be seated forward of the flight deck, the only aircraft in service that this is possible on.
Heavy takeoff from Heathrow. Our seat is one of 6x Kosmo Suites 2.0 in first class, each with its own private cubicle. When fully reclined, they convert into an 83-inch bed, ideal for taller passengers like us.
Getting above the rain near the Channel Coast after a spiraling climb out of London. Amazing how visibility improved when not being hammered by a deluge of water.
Settling back for some sleep somewhere over Central Europe. Earlier, once we reached our cruising altitude over Belgium, we had a delicious dinner of a traditional Korean grilled sirloin with bulgogi sauce.
Waking up over Xinjiang Province in far northwestern China, with the Tian Shan Mountains on the horizon. The Kosmo Suite was extremely comfortable and sleep overcame us almost as soon was we turned off out overhead lights and closed the 4 window shades in our suite.
Final approach over the Yellow Sea near Incheon
Golden Hour arrival in Seoul. After just short of 13 hours of flying, an epoch in the airline’s history has closed, ending several decades of Korean Air 747 passenger operations in the U.K.
Clear of Runway 34L as the landing lights of the replacement for our aircraft on the ICN-LHR route, a 777-300ER, can be seen in the distance
Deplaned at Gate 233 as the Sun sets in the west. While it was a tremendously enjoyable flight, with excellent service and a luxurious seat, it was a bittersweet occasion due to the 747’s second suspension from service to London (the first was in 2020) and it is doubtful when it will return, if at all.