2 South Korean airlines temporarily suspend flights to Russia

By Islamuddin Sajid

ANKARA (AA) – South Korea's two major airlines announced on Tuesday that their flights to Russia will be suspended until the end of April due to security and safety concerns, local media reported.

State-run Korean Air said it is temporarily suspending passenger flights to Moscow and Vladivostok, as well as cargo flights to Europe via Moscow, until the end of next month, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an airline statement.

The decision would also have an impact on its routes to the US, UK, EU, and Canada as it will now reroute its flights that would take up to three hours longer time, it added.

Meanwhile, South Korea's second major airline, Air Busan Co, a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, has also suspended six flights on the Incheon-Vladivostok route from March 19 to April 15 because of the current security situation.

"Asiana didn't operate passenger jets to Russia even before the pandemic hit the airline industry two years ago," a company spokesman told the agency.

However, its freight planes flew across Russian territory, he added.