Via Hong Kong

Watchful 64 /100

London → Seoul

Near a warning area, but does not cross it

Getting old 8 to 30 days old. May still be right — double-check before you book.

Near a warning area · Weak reroute options · via Hong Kong · ~14h

Route assessed 12d ago

Why book

Best-rated option for LHR→ICN. HKG→ICN second leg is only 3.5 hours via clean Korean airspace. No Gulf exposure on either leg.

The catch

Very few backup paths if this route is disrupted

Worth knowing

LHR→HKG depends on the Central Asian corridor. Check Eurocontrol ATFM status day-of. HKG→ICN is clean and high-frequency.

Watchful 64

London → Seoul

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Getting old

8 to 30 days old. May still be right — double-check before you book.

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Route strength 57

Other paths · Stop quality

Problems now 71

Closed areas · Flight options

Ranks above Istanbul because HKG hub scores 0/3 vs IST's 1/3, and the HKG→ICN second leg is dramatically shorter than IST→ICN. Both use the Central Asian corridor on the first leg.

HKG→ICN is a 3.5-hour clean hop — Seoul's proximity to Hong Kong gives this routing a structural second-leg advantage over Istanbul.
Neither leg touches the Middle East advisory zone: LHR→HKG via Central Asia, HKG→ICN via South China Sea.
Cathay Pacific and Korean Air together provide 3+ daily HKG→ICN departures — strong recovery depth if the first leg delays.

Other options for this trip

Via Istanbul 59

Korean Air Direct 52

Scores are based on official airspace warnings, added flight time, and how many reroute options exist. This is not a safety rating. Always check with your airline before you book.

For reference only · Verify before booking.

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