Flights between Europe and Asia now regularly add one to three hours compared to before 2022. This is not a schedule change. Airlines are flying longer paths to go around airspace they used to cross directly.
In early 2022, Western airlines lost access to Russian airspace. That closed off the fast northern path, the one that used to take flights from Northern Europe straight over Siberia to Japan and northeast Asia in about 11 hours. Those flights now have to go south, adding time.
At the same time, European flight safety authorities raised warnings about airspace over Iran and Iraq. Most European airlines changed their routes to avoid that area too. The result: longer paths, more time in the air, and different flight warning areas to deal with, depending on which route your airline chose.
Via Turkey (Istanbul)
The least extra time. Typically 20 to 45 minutes more than pre-2022 flights from Europe to Southeast Asia. Goes east through Turkish airspace, which is not in the flagged area; whether the onward leg stays clear depends on the destination.
Via the Gulf (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi)
Typically adds 45 to 90 minutes on European-to-Southeast Asia routes. Goes further south, which adds distance. The Europe-to-Gulf part of the flight also typically crosses airspace covered by an official warning. The live comparison shows whether one is in force for your route.
Via East Asia (Hong Kong, Seoul)
Adds two or more hours on most Europe-to-Southeast Asia trips. Goes east, avoiding the Middle East warning area entirely. The airspace is the cleanest of the three options, but the trip is much longer.
FlightDetour shows the extra trip length as part of each route's score, so you can see how much longer a route is alongside whether it goes through a warning area.
How much time is added depends on two things: your specific city pair, and which route your airline takes. Flights that used to go over Russia gained the most time from the closure, especially those from Northern Europe to Japan and South Korea. Flights to Southeast Asia were more affected by the Middle East changes.
Even for the same city pair, the route matters. On London to Bangkok, the flight via Istanbul and the flight via Dubai have different trip times and different warning areas. The Istanbul option typically adds less total time; whether it stays clear on the onward leg depends on the destination, so compare the live scores before you book.
These trips show the time difference between routes most clearly.
Live scores for routes that cross the airspace this guide is about.