Oneworld member Finnair will not serve Osaka and Hong Kong until at least the end of April 2022. Seoul and Shanghai, on the other hand, are to be served despite the longer flight times due to the Russian airspace closure.

In a statement, the company explains, among other things, that the further increase in freight rates would make it possible to serve Seoul and Shanghai despite the longer flight times. From March 10, 2022, Finnair will fly to Shanghai once a week on Thursdays and to Seoul three times a week on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from March 12. Flight routes bypass Russian airspace, and flight time for routes to Shanghai and Seoul is 12-14 hours, depending on the direction. Both routes bypass Russian airspace from the south, and the return flight from Seoul to Helsinki can also be made via the northern route.

“We strive to offer our customers connections between Europe and Asia as much as possible in this difficult situation,” says Ole Orvér, Finnair's Chief Commercial Officer. "We understand how frustrating the situation is for our customers and regret the inconvenience and annoyance the flight changes are causing them."

The circumvention of Russian airspace on flights between Europe and Asia has a significant impact on flight times and thus also on fuel, personnel and navigation costs.

Finnair announced earlier this week that it will continue to fly to Tokyo from March 9 with four weekly flights, bypassing Russian airspace. Finnair also continues to fly to Bangkok, Delhi, Phuket and Singapore, bypassing Russian airspace.