Where Can You Fly The Boeing 747-8I In 2022?

Simple Flying

By Pranjal Pande

Published Mar 21, 2022

As the Boeing 747-8I marks 11 years since its first flight, here's a look at which airlines fly the quad-engine jet and where you can travel on it!

Photo: Boeing

The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental made its maiden flights on March 20th, 2010, marking 11 years this weekend. The final generation of the legendary 'Queen of the Skies' comes with several efficiency improvements to lengthen the four-engined plane's service. So where can you fly on this plane? Here's a look.

Lufthansa is the biggest operator

If you're hoping to fly the 747-8, Lufthansa is the airline you're most likely to find yourself on. The German flag carrier operates 19 of the jets, nearly half of all in service. The best part is that the 747-8I is usually found on Lufthansa's busiest routes across the world, making finding one a relatively easy task.

From its main hub in Frankfurt, the newest 747 flies daily to the following destinations: Bangalore, Buenos Aries, Chicago (one service), Houston, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New Delhi, Newark, San Francisco, and São Paulo. Your best chances of finding the plane are on routes to the US or India, with select destinations like South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil possible choices as well. For those who love the bird, luckily there is no shortage of routes to choose from today.

Lufthansa's 747-8 carry their newest products, including a personal first class cabin in the nose! Photo: Simple Flying

Notable absences from the route list occur in East Asia, where countries still have strict COVID entry rules. In the past, the 747-8 flew to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore due to high demand, and hopefully return as more borders open in the coming months.

Korean Air

South Korea's flag carrier is the second-largest operator of the 747-8I, with nine aircraft in its fleet today. Passenger jumbo jet routes with Korean Air also center around the US, given the high traffic for business and tourism travel between the pair. Korean also operates six 747-8 freighters and is currently using some passenger planes as temporary cargo jets to boost revenue.

From its home in Seoul, Korean flies the 747-8I to both short- and long-haul destinations across the globe. Within Asia, the plane can be found flying to Tokyo, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, and more, depending on demand. Outside, the 747-8 is a staple on flights to San Francisco, Honolulu, Auckland, as well as Atlanta and New York. Keep in mind that Korean keeps its schedules flexible, so keep an eye on your chosen flight to ensure aircraft type.

San Francisco is definitely the destination to be if you're hoping to fly in and out on a passenger 747-8! Photo: Vincenzo Pace - Simple Flying

Air China

The final airline operator of the 747-8I is the Chinese flag carrier. The airline flies seven jets, one of which is reserved for VIP travel. The remaining six aircraft fly domestically due to China's border controls, making their sighting abroad much rarer recently. Air China's 747 flies between Beijing and Guangzhou, and Shanghai on a near-daily basis, making these the best way to fly the jets. If you are flying in or out of China, the aircraft also flies to Frankfurt, New York, and San Francisco on occasion, so keep an eye out.

What do you think about the future of the 747-8I? Have you flown one before? Let us know in the comments!