Finnair's flights to Northeast Asia now take about a third longer than before Russia closed its airspace in 2022, burning more fuel and increasing emissions by 10%. The airline, along with other European and UK carriers, faces routing restrictions after being barred from Russian airspace in retaliation for their bans on Russian airlines following the invasion of Ukraine.
Airlines blocked from or avoiding Russian airspace between Europe and Northeast Asia burn 13.8% more fuel per flight than competitors still able to use Russian routes, according to analysis by Skailark. The firm compared fuel consumption on identical routes and aircraft types between 2019 and March 2025 to June 2026.
The extra fuel burn produces 1.53 million metric tons of additional carbon dioxide emissions annually, equaling 12% of total emissions on those flights. Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese carriers have largely avoided Russian airspace over safety concerns rather than official bans.
Finnair says it remains committed to its climate goals despite the routing disadvantage created by the airspace closure.