Atmosphere of openness: Japan and South Korea are waiting for direct flights to Russia
There is a growing demand among Japanese companies to restore direct flights to the Russian Federation, the Russian Embassy in Tokyo told Izvestia. This is happening against the background of the growing tourist flow from Russia to Japan, as well as taking into account the high costs due to the fact that flights to Europe have to fly around Russian airspace. Korean Air is also ready to resume flights to Russia at any time and is awaiting only the decision of the official authorities, Izvestia found out. South Korean public organizations are calling on the authorities to begin substantive negotiations on this issue, as Western sanctions violate the right of movement of 150,000 ethnic Koreans living in the Russian Federation. However, experts do not expect flights to resume soon, because Tokyo and Seoul are coordinating their policies with Washington.
Japanese and Korean airlines want to resume direct flights from Russia
There is a wide request among Japanese airlines to resume direct flights with Russia, not only from the main carriers, but also from local ones, the Russian Embassy in Tokyo told Izvestia.
— There is a request for the resumption of flights, including from local airlines, which obviously lost out due to the anti-Russian policy of their government. The main Japanese carriers Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airlines (ANA) are forced to build routes to Europe bypassing the airspace of our country, which leads to higher ticket prices, increased travel time and increased equipment wear," the embassy said.
Previously, there were several routes between Russia and Japan. In particular, Aeroflot operated flights on the Moscow –Tokyo route, while S7 Airlines and Aurora operated flights from Russian cities in the Far East, including Novosibirsk and Khabarovsk. In 2017, Vladivostok – Osaka became one of the new interesting routes.
Currently, Japanese companies not only do not fly to Russia, but also avoid Russian airspace when flying to Europe — for this they fly on longer routes over the countries of Central Asia or Greenland.
In recent days, there have indeed been reports that Japanese companies are interested in resuming direct flights. Such information was provided, for example, by JAL, Vladimir Nelidov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, tells Izvestia. However, it will be more difficult to return than to leave. The withdrawal of JAL and ANA from the Russian direction has freed up a significant niche for their competitors, who are happy to take advantage of the current situation, the embassy stressed.
The key Korean carrier is also ready to resume flights at any time. Korean Air and Aeroflot previously operated flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Seoul, Busan, Jeju and Gimpo. The airline will proceed with this issue after coordination with all interested authorities, Korean Air told Izvestia.
— South Korean companies with ties to Russia, of course, are interested in resuming direct flights between our countries. And they certainly convey their position to the country's leadership. Based on the statements of officials, contacts on this issue are continuing, but without much enthusiasm," Lyudmila Zakharova, a leading researcher at the Center for Korean Studies at the ICSA RAS, told Izvestia.
Russians have become more likely to travel to Japan and South Korea.
Domestic airlines are also interested in restoring the flight program, including against the background of record growth rates of tourist flow, the embassy added. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously stated that the carriers of both countries are in contact on this issue.
Russians' interest in Japan has been breaking all records lately, despite the very long journey, including transfers — they most often fly Chinese airlines via Beijing and Shanghai. From January to September 2025, almost 130,000 Russian citizens visited Japan, an increase of 104% compared to the same period in 2024.
Against the background of the growing tourist flow, Japan even decided to open visa centers in Russia. According to local media, Tokyo plans to open one center each in Moscow and St. Petersburg as early as 2026.
The tourist flow to South Korea is also being restored. In 2024, it grew by about a quarter compared to 2023. And in the first six months of 2025, the indicator increased by another 21%. By the end of the year, about 250,000 Russians will visit South Korea, according to tour operators.
Proposals to resume direct flights are emerging not only because we are talking about the profits that airlines are losing. A few weeks ago, 92 South Korean and 36 Russian NGOs prepared a petition demanding that the South Korean authorities resume direct flights to Russia. They draw attention to the fact that stopping flights violates the rights of movement of 150,000 ethnic Koreans and citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan living in Russia. Exchanges in the fields of economics, education and culture have been suspended. "We believe that the government is neglecting its duty to protect the basic rights of citizens and compatriots abroad under the pretext of international sanctions," the appeal says.
Seoul and Tokyo are guided by Washington
However, everything depends on the position of the authorities. It is important to note that the airspace remains formally open for mutual civil aviation flights.
— All that is needed to move forward is a political decision from Tokyo. If it is accepted, we will be ready for dialogue and practical work," the Russian Embassy added.
Japan and South Korea, along with Singapore, are the only states in all of Asia that have imposed anti—Russian sanctions, so any decision they make will most likely synchronize with their key ally, the United States. This year, leadership has changed in both countries, and the new authorities have given some signals of their willingness to improve relations with Moscow, at least pointwise.
In Korea, the new president, Lee Jae-myung, repeatedly called for normalization of relations with Moscow during the election campaign, and after his inauguration he spoke out against excessive hostility towards Russia and China. Finally, the issue with the ambassador to Russia was resolved — he became the famous Russianist Lee Seok-pae, who already held this position from 2019 to 2022. "Based on the experience and lessons learned during my first term as ambassador to the Russian Federation, I will make every effort to maintain stability in bilateral relations and to lay the foundation for future recovery," the diplomat said. However, it is difficult to ignore a stable sanctions policy.
— At the moment, the Russian market still has limited potential for the Republic of Kazakhstan under existing restrictions. The South Korean side needs more favorable political conditions and an easing of sanctions against Russia by the United States," Lyudmila Zakharova emphasizes.
The situation with Japan is even more complicated. The new prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, also showed certain signals towards the Russian Federation, for example, she declared her readiness to discuss a peace agreement with the Russian Federation. However, the politician almost immediately clearly outlined a foreign policy course towards militarization, deepening relations with the United States. At the end of October, during Donald Trump's visit to Tokyo, the leaders announced the beginning of a new "golden era" in relations between the countries.
Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi
— Despite such information from the airlines, it is unlikely that a real step can be expected from the Japanese side, because such a concession as the resumption of direct flights will become a symbol of Japan's departure from the policy of sanctions restrictions against Russia. And I'm not sure that the current Japanese government has sufficient political resources for this," Nelidov believes.
According to experts, discussions on the resumption of flights will remain at the signal level for now and will not lead to a real breakthrough in the near future.
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