Korean Air is avoiding Russian airspace for its European and US flights and temporarily suspending passenger flights to Russia over safety concerns.
Its aircraft will no longer fly through Russian and Ukrainian airspace, Korean Air said in a statement on March 15, 2022. Cargo flights to Europe will no longer transit via Moscow.
The South Korean flag carrier said it was making the changes due to concerns over local airport operations and safety following the Ukraine crisis.
The passenger routes being suspended are to Moscow and Vladivostok, Korean Air said.
Flights from Incheon (ICN) to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt will now fly via China, Kazakhstan and Turkey, adding between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours 45 minutes to flight times.
On routes from New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, Boston and Toronto to ICN will now use a routing over the Pacific Ocean via Alaska, Korean Air explained. This adds between 1 hour and 1 hour 40 minutes to flight times.