How Boeing's Aircraft Conduct International Charter Flights for Baseball Teams

Major League Baseball (MLB) is embarking on its most ambitious attempt to grow its international audience for the 2024 season. The MLB will host three games in global markets, including the first-ever match in South Korea. 

The game is not only the first MLB game to come to Seoul but will also kick off the 2024 baseball season by highlighting some of the game’s best stars in the new market, highlighted by the debut of Shohei Ohtani for his new team. The Los Angeles Dodgers will play the San Diego Padres at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul as the first of 2024’s MLB World Tour. The other games will be held in Mexico City in April and in London in June.

The Dodgers and the Padres took off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Both teams arrived at Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul after a twelve-and-a-half-hour flight. The Dodgers opted to charter a Boeing 747, which offered plenty of room for players, staff, and some family. The Padres, on the other hand, opted for an Atlas 747-400 VIP airliner, which includes 10 first class seats, 143 business class seats and 36 economy seats.

However, any embarking into a new market will face its unique challenges. With the game being played on the other side of the date-line, the impacts on sleep and travel time affecting players present an obstacle. The Padres and Dodgers left on March 13 and 14 and arrived early on March 15. According to Brandon McDaniel, VP of Dodgers’ Player Performance, the team brought in a sleep specialist to inform the team of the best recovery options when adjusting to the time change. 

The Padres' leadership said about the team's travel plans:

“We normalize it, So you think about it in terms of we’re conditioned to travel; we’re conditioned to showing up in locations late at night, early in the morning; we’re conditioned to when we get on airplanes, it’s about hydration, it’s about nutrition, it’s about recovery.”

Seoul operates 16 hours ahead of the two West Coast-based teams. According to the Padres, the team must complete another 36 flights this season to reach 22 cities. San Diego has historically chartered a Delta Boeing 757. The Dodgers, although having a sponsorship from Starlux Airlines, are said to charter a United Boeing 757 throughout the season. With most of the league based on the East Coast, both rosters are used to long road trips and multiple five-hour flights per week. 

However, logistics aside, this effort for the MLB is an outstanding gesture to expand its network into new markets. South Korea has a strong passion for the sport, and the San Diego Padres boast two players from the country. Additionally, the Dodgers recently signed two Japanese free agents to a combined $1 billion over the winter, hoping to use the superstars to grow support in the region.