SEOUL, KOREA (REUTERS) — Korean Air Lines said on Tuesday it will reroute its flights to Europe and eastern North America that used Russian airspace, citing operational challenges and safety concerns.


The airline said it will also temporarily suspend all of its passenger and cargo services to and from Moscow and Vladivostok until the end of April.

Suspended flights include flights between Incheon and Moscow, Incheon and Vladivostok, and flights with Moscow stopovers, Korean Air said in a statement.

European routes such as Seoul-London will be rerouted via other countries such as China, Kazakhstan, and Turkey, which will add flight time of up to 2 hours and 45 minutes per one-way trip, while North American routes such as New York-Seoul will be rerouted via Alaska and the Pacific Ocean, which will add up to 1 hour and 40 minutes flight time per one-way trip, it said.

Other airlines like Japan's ANA have already changed their routes over Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.