Russian airspace has been closed to European and Western carriers since 2022. Flights that once flew over Russia now detour through Central Asia or the Gulf — adding two to four hours each way. Here is what changed, which routes are affected, and how to compare your options.
Since February 2022, Russian airspace has been closed to European, British, American, Canadian, and most other Western carriers. Flights that previously took the polar route — arcing north over Russia — now fly south through Central Asia or further south through the Gulf. The detour adds between two and four hours each way depending on your origin and destination. Chinese, Russian, and a handful of other carriers still overfly Russia, which is why you may notice the same route listed at very different journey times depending on which airline you book.
The closure hits hardest on the longest corridors. Europe to Japan and South Korea lose the most time: a London–Tokyo flight that was roughly eleven hours is now thirteen to fourteen hours via Central Asia. Europe to China is similarly affected, though less severely because the Central Asian corridor is shorter for Chinese destinations than for Japanese ones. North America to Asia is affected differently: West Coast US flights to Japan and Korea took the polar route and now fly Pacific instead; East Coast flights to India and Southeast Asia are routed south of Russia through Central Asia or the Gulf.
Central Asian corridor: most European carriers now route through Kazakhstan and the Stans — a path that was used before 2022 but now carries far more traffic. It is the fastest available alternative for Europe–Northeast Asia, but the airspace is congested and carries its own monitoring flags.
China arc: some flights, particularly those operated by or connecting through Chinese carriers, route via Beijing or other Chinese hubs. This corridor exists as a direct response to the Russian closure for routes where China is not the final destination.
Air China, China Eastern, and other Chinese carriers are not subject to the Russian airspace ban. They continue to fly the polar or Russian overland routes. This is why Air China's London–Beijing is listed at around ten hours while British Airways' same city pair runs closer to twelve. It is the same city pair, the same aircraft type in some cases, and a two-hour gap that is entirely explained by airspace access. Neither option is safer or more reliable than the other — the difference is purely routing.
Journey time is the obvious impact. Less obvious: connection windows at hubs like Istanbul, Dubai, and Doha are tighter because those hubs are now handling a larger share of Asia-bound traffic. Rebooking options are more constrained when things go wrong. And the Central Asian corridor passes through airspace that carries its own advisory monitoring — a separate issue from the Russian closure, but worth checking before you travel.
The route pages on this site show the current routing for each city pair and carrier type, the airspace zones each path crosses, and how the options compare on journey time and detour depth. If you are deciding between a direct booking on a European carrier and a connection through a Chinese hub, the route comparison will show you the time difference and the current airspace status for both paths.
These routes are most affected by the Russian airspace closure.
Scores compare route options on airspace status, added flight time, and reroute depth. They are not safety ratings. Conditions change — route pages show when data was last assessed. For reference only; always check with your airline before booking.