The World’s Shortest Boeing 747 Passenger Flights This Year

Summary Boeing 747s are becoming increasingly rare on scheduled passenger flights.
Frankfurt to Hamburg was the shortest service this year, with five roundtrips in May.
Asiana operates the shortest remaining 747 flight using its sole passenger 747-400.
There are few Boeing 747s – whether the 747-400 or 747-8 – left in scheduled passenger use. Cirium shows that they operated just one in every 145 widebody flights in the full year 2023. That fell from one in 42 in 2019 and one in six (!) 20 years ago. It is, of course, simply a natural and technological evolution.
The world's shortest 747 flights: 2023
If all scheduled passenger 747 flights are considered, a typical flight covered a hefty 4,708 miles (7,577 km) this year. Among others, it was influenced by Korean Air from Seoul to Atlanta and Air China between Beijing and New York.
At the other end of the scale, the intra-Germany route – Frankfurt to Hamburg – was the shortest to see the type this year. Like other routes in the table, it had few flights and used the 747-400. No 747-8 service came close to being included.
Miles (km) Routing Airline Comments 256 (412) Frankfurt to Hamburg Lufthansa Five roundtrips in May 2023; 747-400 452 (728) Seoul Incheon to Changchun Asiana Six roundtrips in January/March; 747-400 511 (822) Seoul Incheon to Shanghai Pudong Asiana 41 roundtrips January-October; 747-400 535 (862) Seoul Incheon to Osaka Kansai Asiana Daily from the end of October; 747-400 561 (903) Seoul Incheon to Beijing Capital Asiana Four roundtrips in March; 747-400 602 (969) Jeddah to Khartoum Saudia Three roundtrips in April; 747-400
Lufthansa: Frankfurt to Hamburg
On May 2nd, 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th, the German giant flew its three-class, 371-seat 747-400s on what is the carrier's 30th shortest route this year. It appears to have been for pilot training and replaced the usual A319/A320/A321.
Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis I Shutterstock
Lufthansa only sold tickets in business and economy, with premium economy apparently a preferred seating section in the economy cabin. A one-way Frankfurt-Hamburg economy ticket was available from €85 (USD$93) and a lie-flat business bed, desperately needed on a very short flight, from €472 ($515).
The schedule had a 1h 10m block. The jumbo left Frankfurt at 06:30 and arrived in Hamburg at 07:40. After a 50-minute turn, it departed at 08:30 and returned to Frankfurt at 09:40, ready for its long-haul deployment.
The shortest remaining service
Of the five routes mentioned in the table, only one – Asiana between Seoul and Osaka – still sees the type. It is, therefore, the present shortest service. Operating daily, it is also the most-served shortest remaining 747 route.
It is particularly significant as Asiana only has one remaining passenger 747-400. Registered HL7428, the three-class, 398-seat aircraft is 25.8 years old. According to ch-aviation, it was delivered to Asiana in June 1999.
OZ114 leaves Seoul Incheon at 14:10 and arrives in Osaka Kansai at 15:50 local. Returning, OZ113 departs at 17:10 and arrives back at 19:05. Flightradar24 indicates that this is the only service Asiana's last remaining passenger 747 operates, at least in December. It will change in January.
What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments section.

This data comes from MediaIntel.Asia's Media Intelligence and Media Monitoring Platform.