Tokyo-to-London Flight Takes Polar Route to Avoid Russian Airspace

Storyful

A flight from Japan to London took a route through northern polar areas on March 9 in order to avoid Russian airspace amid the invasion of Ukraine.

The flight from Tokyo to London took an average of 12 hours 12 minutes when flying over Russia. The new route over Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland takes an estimated 14 hours 38 minutes, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.

A flight between Helsinki and Tokyo was also reported to have been using a polar route in order to avoid Russian airspace. Credit: FlightRadar24 via Storyful

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