Subscription Required

By Bjorn Fehrm

Introduction  

April 28, 2022, © Leeham News: Last week, we started an article series that looks at the impact of the closure of the Russian airspace for Western airlines.

We start with analyzing how Finnair’s cost base changes as it routes Helsinki to Tokyo has to fly over the north pole and then down to Tokyo instead of over Russia. How will this affect the airline’s costs and the payload carrying capacity of the aircraft?

Summary

• The costs for Finnair on the route increase significantly.
• Part of this increase is increased fuel prices, affecting all airlines. Others are tied to avoiding Russian airspace.