• shutterstock_257791090
    Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    BKK/VTBS
    Country:
    Thailand
    CEO:
    Nitinai Sirismatthakarn
    Passenger Count :
    16,706,000 (2020)
    Runways :
    01R/19L - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 01L/19R - 3,700m (12,139ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3

Later this month, Asiana will use the A380 between Seoul Incheon and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, and it'll return to Los Angeles in July. The two routes are highly appropriate as they were among the first to see Asiana's double-decker quadjets in 2014. The return comes as Korean Air will use the A380 to Hong Kong from July, its first A380 route.

Bangkok is first

Last December, Asiana announced that the 495-seat A380 would reenter service in March 2022 from Seoul to Los Angeles and Frankfurt. That didn't happen. A few weeks later, it revealed that it had removed the type until October, not helped by the spread of Omicron.

The type is coming back, with the first scheduled flight to Bangkok on June 25th, with further changes at this late stage unlikely. Asiana's website shows that the type won't be used on the route between July 22nd and August 16th, with the A330-300 deployed instead. The A380 will return on August 17th.

The schedule is as follows, with all times local. It is somewhat humorous that it has flight numbers 741/742, IATA codes of two very old Boeing 747 series:

  • Seoul to Bangkok: OZ741, 19:30-23:10, 1x daily (5h 40m block time) from June 25th
  • Bangkok to Seoul: OZ742, 01:10-09:15, 1x daily (6h 5m) from June 26th

So far this year, Asiana has served Bangkok 1x daily. However, in the Star Alliance carrier's schedule filing at the end of May, it revealed that it'll rise to 10x weekly from July 1st. 1x daily A380 service will be supplemented by 3x weekly flights by the A321neo.

Asiana Seoul to Bangkok A380
Bangkok will see the A380 from June 25th. Image: Asiana.

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Los Angeles will follow

Nearly a month after Bangkok takes off, Asiana will use the A380 from Seoul to Los Angeles from July 22nd. There will be 3x weekly flights, joining 11 weekly by the A350-900. The schedule is as follows, with all times local:

  • Seoul to Los Angeles: OZ202, 14:40-10:20 (arriving the same day), 3x weekly (11h 40m block time) from July 22nd
  • Los Angeles to Seoul: OZ201, 12:40-17:35+1, 3x weekly (12h 55m) from July 22nd
Asiana A380 Los Angeles
On final approach to Los Angeles in 2015. Photo: Glenn Beltz via Flickr.

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Asiana has six A380s

Ch-aviation.com shows that Asiana has six A380s, with an average age of 7.2 years. The first aircraft (registered HL7625) was delivered in May 2014. Another arrived in June that year (HL7626), two more in 2015 (HL7634/HL7635), and the final two in 2016 (HL7640/HL7641).

According to Flightradar24, some of its six-strong subfleet have undertaken short, 20-minute-plus circuits from Incheon in the past few days before reentry into service.

Asiana first used the A380 commercially in June 2014 on the short hops to Hong Kong and Tokyo Narita, joined by Bangkok and Osaka in July. The first long-haul route was to Los Angeles in August 2014. According to Cirium, Los Angeles hah more Asiana A380 flights than any other destination.

Have you flown Asiana's double-deckers? If so, share your experiences in the comments.