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Each week, airlines from around the world submit schedule changes to Cirium Diio and OAG. The alterations are many and varied, including equipment swaps. The latest update shows that Seoul Incheon to Taipei Taoyuan will no longer see the Airbus A380 after May.
Naturally, the local traffic between the capitals of South Korea and Taiwan is significant. According to booking data, more than 2.6 million passengers flew between the two cities in 2025, equivalent to 7,100+ passengers daily.
The Last A380 Flight Will Be On May 24 (For Now)
As with many major Asian markets, widebody aircraft play an important role on this city pair. Some 60% of flights are on such equipment, which rises to two-thirds at the airport level. Perhaps it isn’t surprising that the double-decker quadjet is deployed on it. Cirium data shows the type was used between 2017 and 2020, and again between 2023 and 2026.
Asiana was to deploy its 495-seat A380 daily through the end of October 2026, but no more. The latest schedule update indicates that the type’s final flight between Seoul and Taipei will be on May 24. However, as Asiana is renowned for relatively last-minute changes to its A380 network, the plan may be adapted again. The probability of that happening is relatively high.
Between May 25 and 31, the latest schedule indicates that Asiana’s 311-seat A350-900 will be used instead. The swap means no business suites, along with 38 fewer seats in business and 134 fewer seats in economy. The much lower capacity should at least mean that yields will be higher than when the A380 was used. The A330-300 and 777-200ER will gradually replace the A350.
|
A380 Frequency |
Seoul Incheon To Taipei Taoyuan* |
Taipei Taoyuan To Seoul Incheon; Local Times** |
|---|---|---|
|
Daily |
8:35 am-10:25 am (2h 50m) |
12:25 pm-3:55 pm (2h 30m) |
|
* Schedule for the first week of May |
** Schedule for the first week of May |
Where Will Asiana’s A380s Fly?
Let’s narrow the focus to June to September. These few months encompass the peak summer, which ordinarily has the highest demand and fares. The latest information suggests Asiana’s A380s will operate 366 departures from Seoul Incheon. That is equivilent to three daily flights.
The type’s offering has fallen by a substantial 25% week-over-week, which is entirely because of the removal of the double-decker from the carrier’s route to Taipei. The big reduction suggests that the airline’s A380 network has not been finalized yet. Will Taipei flights return? Will the type be flown elsewhere? Will superjumbo flights to already-served destinations be increased? Time will tell. And if whatever materializes is noteworthy, it’ll be written about.
As of March 17, and subject to change, Asiana will fly the double-decker from Seoul Incheon to Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Tokyo Narita. A daily service on the superjumbo will exist to all three destinations. In the same period last year, the carrier also flew the type to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Tokyo Narita, albeit primarily for a short period—not regularly.
Qatar Airways Has Ended Airbus A380 Flights On 5 Routes: Full List
Discover the five destinations no longer served by Qatar Airways’ iconic superjumbos.
What Is The New Second-Longest A380 Route?
Between June and September, airlines plan to operate 200 routes on the double-decker. Of these, the shortest service by minimum block time remains Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Narita, with Asiana’s flights being timed as low as 2h 25m.That is just five minutes shorter than between Seoul Incheon and Taipei Taoyuan.
Given the cessation of Taipei flights, the world’s new second-longest scheduled superjumbo route is operated by Emirates between Dubai and Jeddah. Running daily, flights are blocked as low as 2h 50m and use four-class aircraft. A close contender for the second spot was the Gulf giant’s fifth freedom operation between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Hong Kong, which is timed at 3h 00m.
