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Some Delta flights avoiding flying over Russia

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Some Delta flights avoiding flying over Russia

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Old Mar 2, 2022, 5:42 pm
  #1  
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Some Delta flights avoiding flying over Russia

Noticed this recently, looks like Delta is avoiding flying over Russia on its DTW to ICN route. Started doing this last Thursday, adding at least 1hr to the flight time. Just FYI for people taking this flight it will be 15+ hrs for the foreseeable future.
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Old Mar 2, 2022, 6:54 pm
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Originally Posted by addicoe
Noticed this recently, looks like Delta is avoiding flying over Russia on its DTW to ICN route. Started doing this last Thursday, adding at least 1hr to the flight time. Just FYI for people taking this flight it will be 15+ hrs for the foreseeable future.
Pres. Biden announced last night during the State of the Union address that he was closing down US airspace to Russian aircraft. While I don't see a reciprocation announced yet by Russia, it stands to reason that it's coming and my guess is any US flights that might otherwise cross over Russian airspace will avoid it anyway less they be forced to divert or turn back (or worse) while en route if/when Russian airspace is closed off.
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Old Mar 2, 2022, 6:56 pm
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Russia closed its airspace before Biden closed ours to Russia.
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Old Mar 2, 2022, 7:11 pm
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Even before this happened, I would hope and expect that DL started to avoid flying over Russia as the hostilities were getting worse. The risk started before yesterday.
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Old Mar 2, 2022, 7:36 pm
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Originally Posted by HWGeeks
Russia closed its airspace before Biden closed ours to Russia.
They had closed to those that had closed theirs. US was still technically allowed.. Although i believe everyone was avoiding already..
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Old Mar 2, 2022, 9:59 pm
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With Russian air space closed, I wonder if fuel stops in Anchorage will become "a thing"; it is my understanding that this was standard practice on trans-Pacific flights back in the USSR days (which was well before I was doing any international travel). I suppose most of today's aircraft are much more fuel efficient, so it will generally be possible to continue nonstop flights even if they are longer as a result of having to stay out of Russian air space.
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Old Mar 3, 2022, 1:16 am
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Originally Posted by andrewk829
With Russian air space closed, I wonder if fuel stops in Anchorage will become "a thing"; it is my understanding that this was standard practice on trans-Pacific flights back in the USSR days (which was well before I was doing any international travel). I suppose most of today's aircraft are much more fuel efficient, so it will generally be possible to continue nonstop flights even if they are longer as a result of having to stay out of Russian air space.
With few exceptions, any aircraft flying longhaul today can make it nonstop to Asian destinations. It'll add an hour or two, but is doable. We've already seen this with AF and some other EU airlines.
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Old Mar 3, 2022, 4:27 am
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Unfortunately, an hour or two more flying time requires more fuel so that these flights become more expensive to operate.
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Old Mar 3, 2022, 8:59 am
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Seeing this headline automatically made me think of Korean Air Flight 007
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Old Mar 3, 2022, 5:20 pm
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Originally Posted by flyerCO
With few exceptions, any aircraft flying longhaul today can make it nonstop to Asian destinations. It'll add an hour or two, but is doable. We've already seen this with AF and some other EU airlines.
UA has already cancelled a bunch of flights to/from India in the immediate future.

AA has been stopping in Maine on the way back from India, but that has happened prior.
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Old Mar 12, 2022, 4:26 am
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Korean air also doing the same, avoiding russia on their ICN -> ATL route.
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Old Mar 13, 2022, 9:29 pm
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Originally Posted by addicoe
Korean air also doing the same, avoiding russia on their ICN -> ATL route.
I wish that were the case, since I am flying that route this week.

But FlightAware shows my ATL to ICN flight spending multiple hours over Mother Russia, and I have seen no changes in flight times/durations that would suggest any change in routing.

So, I am hoping that Putin stays distracted by what is happening on the Eastern Front.
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Old Mar 13, 2022, 9:45 pm
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Originally Posted by StayingHomeIsBetter
I wish that were the case, since I am flying that route this week.

But FlightAware shows my ATL to ICN flight spending multiple hours over Mother Russia, and I have seen no changes in flight times/durations that would suggest any change in routing.

So, I am hoping that Putin stays distracted by what is happening on the Eastern Front.
I was checking my flight from ATL to ICN and it still shows the original routing thru Russian airspace. And, a call to the Diamond line yielded the response that they could not guarantee that Korean Air would not fly through Russian airspace.

Checking the return routings, I see that some DL and Korean air flights are taking a more southern route over Japan.
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Old Mar 13, 2022, 10:56 pm
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This brand new Delta A339 flew the wrong way around the world from Europe to Asia, leapfrogging over North America, TATL and TPAC, to avoid Russian airspace

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Old Mar 14, 2022, 1:34 pm
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Originally Posted by StayingHomeIsBetter
I was checking my flight from ATL to ICN and it still shows the original routing thru Russian airspace. And, a call to the Diamond line yielded the response that they could not guarantee that Korean Air would not fly through Russian airspace.

Checking the return routings, I see that some DL and Korean air flights are taking a more southern route over Japan.
Today's ATL to ICN flight took a more southern route ans came in over Japan. Common sense has begun to prevail.
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