You wouldn’t expect a British Airways Boeing 787 flying from Japan to the United Kingdom to divert to the United States, but that’s exactly what has happened today. First a bit of background…
In this post:
British Airways’ long route from Tokyo to London
British Airways operates a flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and Tokyo Haneda (HND) using a Boeing 787-9. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this flight has become significantly longer. Even though the flight “only” covers a distance of 5,974 miles, it’s blocked at 13hr35min to Tokyo, and 14hr40min to London.
The reason for this is that the most direct route between the airports would take you over Russian airspace, but with the current situation, British Airways can’t (and won’t) use Russian airspace.
So on the flight to Tokyo, British Airways takes advantage of headwinds and continues to fly east, though with a much more southerly routing than before.
Meanwhile on the flight to London, British Airways goes exactly the opposite direction. In order to avoid Russian airspace and take advantage of tailwinds, the flight operates east rather than west, flying over the Pacific Ocean, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland, before approaching the United Kingdom.
Even though the distance between the two airports is under 6,000 miles, British Airways regularly flies over 8,000 miles on the sector to London, but it’s still the fastest option.
Medical emergency causes Anchorage diversion
Today’s British Airways flight from Tokyo to London didn’t quite go as planned. Unfortunately there was a medical emergency while enroute (hopefully the passenger ends up being okay), so the plane had to divert to the closest major airport, which ended up being Anchorage. The flight from Tokyo to Anchorage ended up taking just over six hours, landing at 2:41AM local time.
The plane spent just 90 minutes on the ground in Alaska, and departed again at 4:11AM local time. The plane is now on approach to London, and should arrive there at around 10:18PM, after a flight time of around 8hr15min. Amazingly enough, the flight is only arriving a bit over two hours behind schedule, as it was due to arrive at 7:55PM.
Huge kudos to the crew for what was no doubt a long duty day. And thank goodness the crew didn’t time out (or somehow elected to continue working), because accommodating a planeload of passengers in Anchorage in the middle of the night when many passengers probably couldn’t enter the US would’ve been a mess.
I have to say, a diversion like this gives me a new perspective on a topic we recently saw. While US airlines are banned from using Russian airspace, foreign airlines flying to the United States aren’t. The government has allegedly been considering adding a ban on foreign airlines using Russian airspace when flying to and from the United States.
One has to wonder what would happen if a flight between the US and another country diverted to Russia with hundreds of Americans onboard for a medical emergency. I’d hope it would just be business as usual by international standards, but I can’t say that confidently.
Bottom line
Today’s British Airways flight from Tokyo to London diverted to Anchorage, which is a diversion that would’ve been unheard of before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since British Airways can’t use Russian airspace, the airline has a very long routing from Japan to the United Kingdom, which takes advantage of tailwinds.
When a passenger had a medical emergency on this flight, the closest diversion point was Anchorage, so the plane landed there in the middle of the night. Fortunately the situation seemed to be handled professionally, so hundreds of people didn’t end up stranded in Anchorage. It makes for an interesting route for us avgeeks, though.
What do you make of this diversion?
(Tip of the hat to Raul)
BA used to fly to Anchorage to refuel en route to Japan; Air France, Swiss Air, KLM too. This route closed about 15-20 years ago when these airlines started to use Russian air space. Perhaps they might come back to Alaska!
@ Ben "One has to wonder what would happen if a flight between the US and another country diverted to Russia with hundreds of Americans onboard for a medical emergency. I’d hope it would just be business as usual by international standards, but I can’t say that confidently."
I'm pretty certain it would be business as usual. Russia isn't arresting people just for being American, even in the current situation. I'm American, and enter and...
@ Ben "One has to wonder what would happen if a flight between the US and another country diverted to Russia with hundreds of Americans onboard for a medical emergency. I’d hope it would just be business as usual by international standards, but I can’t say that confidently."
I'm pretty certain it would be business as usual. Russia isn't arresting people just for being American, even in the current situation. I'm American, and enter and exit Russia regularly without any problems or harrassment, and I personally know many other Americans who do so as well. In fact, I routinely encounter problems at US passport control when I get pulled aside and questioned about why I visited Russia. It's gotten to the point that I refuse to answer questions on principle and tell the officers to look in their system to find previous records of my answers to their questions, and that nothing has changed. Usually pisses them off when I assert my rights, but I always get released in the end.
Very interesting topic for us aviation fans.. I believe the West is just as much to blame for the Ukraine crisis.. and hope peace can be sought so routes can return to normal.
Not sure why BA feels the need to have this extra long flight. They could cooperate with OneWorld partners to do so. OneWorld partners do fly to China and the Middle East, etc. I wonder if it is really economic for the airline.
This route is between Tokyo and London, Tokyo is not in China you dumbfuxk. Tokyo is in Japan which is the third biggest economy in the world.
You racist may not know this but every major European airlines fly between Japan and its European cities.
So it has nothing to do with middle east and China!
STFU KAREN!
For decades Anchorage, Alaska was the enroute stopping and refueling point for all major passenger carriers between Europe and Asia. Today Anchorage is the world's third busiest air freight airport, so it is easy to understand why the British Airways diversion could be handled quickly and professionally. And for the issue of potentially having to house foreigners without visas in Anchorage on short notice, ANC is prepared for that, too.
I think a diversion into Russia would not be a problem for American passengers of a foreign airline. It would not stop me from booking this route if it saves time
In the days of the Soviet era, Anchorage was the air crossroads of the world with regularly schedule stops between Europe and Japan/South Korea. No fewer than Air France, British Airways, SAS (first) Sabena, Iberia, Swissair, Lufthansa, JAL, Korean and KLM making the transit. Most had traffic rights. Northern Pacific visitors included Pan Am (FAI) Northwest, Cathay Pacific and JAL.
<<>>
LHR - TYO passengers are mostly Japanese and British,
They both got no problem entering the US.
It would be a problem if it was a mainland China flight, but...
What the hell are you talking about?
Also, misuses of headwind, tailwind, east west bound etc...
Stopovers at ANC were routine before the days of extended range passenger service. My father had a friend who was a BA captain and we got a tour of his 747-200 during the preflight one time in ANC. He explained "the reason for the hump in the 747 is so that the captain has somewhere to store his wallet". How times have changed!
I was on this flight, hopefully the individual in question makes a swift recovery.
Good work from the flight/cabin crews getting turned around in Anchorage so quickly, also from the people on board with medical training in their assistance.
Long day for the cabin crew in particular! They handled it with relative good cheer, as did the passengers considering the limited service that was possible on the Anchorage to London leg as a result of rest requirements.
Flight from London to Tokyo to London in an eastward direction is not flying from Tokyo to London "in the opposite direction".
Isn't it the same direction (not opposite), since it's east in both cases?
Also, for the flight to Tokyo, I think you meant that BA takes advantage of tailwinds, not headwinds. Thanks.
lemme guess... it flew there? ba dum tsss
Expect more of this in the future fairly common during the Cold War when Anchorage was one of the busiest airports in the world. It is still one of the busiest cargo airports in the world. By the way since British Airways is now OneWorld partners with Alaska Airlines, we just did a great Madrid to Anchorage flight. It started Madrid to London Heathrow, business class, a stop overnight at the Heathrow Marriott, then British...
Expect more of this in the future fairly common during the Cold War when Anchorage was one of the busiest airports in the world. It is still one of the busiest cargo airports in the world. By the way since British Airways is now OneWorld partners with Alaska Airlines, we just did a great Madrid to Anchorage flight. It started Madrid to London Heathrow, business class, a stop overnight at the Heathrow Marriott, then British Airways business class London to Seattle. The final leg was Alaska Air first class Seattle to Anchorage... Total cost: 60,000 Alaska Air miles, plus $400. Right now British Airways is light years above American Airlines, it's partner, in both service and amenities in business class imo.
The only downside, and I wonder if this happens to more people? Stopped and interrogated in Seattle for about an hour as to whether I am a human trafficker because of a small carry-on and nothing else for myself, my girlfriend and our 5 year old son. The only other indicators for them (ICE) were us using multiple business class tickets and possibly age and race differences. All the same nationality though... It was crazy but I just patiently went through the procedures.
Tell me exactly how this do any good to the environment? The UN really needs to interfere with impact on the planet commercial aviation has. This is childish game and takes us all the way back to Cold War time. I’m sorry BA/JAL/ANA if you can’t fly the most direct route you shouldn’t even get to fly at all, YOU imposed the sanction on Russia so suffer from the consequences.
They’re just trying to make a point. If Russia shot down a plane “accidentally wouldn’t that be worse than the carbon emissions?
I’m all for the environment but this isn’t the time and place. Same goes for world peace but it’s in America’s best interest to keep Ukraine fighting…
Russian bot. The airlines didn’t impose the sanctions and why are you on a travel blog then going on about the environment. The impact of airlines on the environment is not significant versus a huge number of other industries.
Dotard.
I don't recall the boards of BA, JL, and NH having the power to impose sanctions on any nation.
An eco-loon on an airline blog. Whatever next? And one who left high school without completing English.
We have unscheduled visitors drop into Alaska a time or two a year, sometimes for medical reasons, sometimes for mechanical, and sometimes even for meteorological reasons. There are several 10K' runways that are kept serviceable to an emergency landing level left over from their days as emergency diversion points for strategic bombers enroute to or from the USSR. Most of those are in the middle of nowhere but at least they're solid ground. If it...
We have unscheduled visitors drop into Alaska a time or two a year, sometimes for medical reasons, sometimes for mechanical, and sometimes even for meteorological reasons. There are several 10K' runways that are kept serviceable to an emergency landing level left over from their days as emergency diversion points for strategic bombers enroute to or from the USSR. Most of those are in the middle of nowhere but at least they're solid ground. If it is anything mechanical they usually just fly another plane in unless it is in Anchorage. There are few amenities anywhere else but they manage to keep people fed and warm until they can get them out.
On they way to Japan they fly eastbound to use the same tailwinds as on the way from Japan. No pilot wants to fly with headwind, it makes your groundspeed lower.
I recall in the earl 1990s at Heathrow seeing a BA gate with a flight to ANC as a stopover to Osaka. It seemed it was an old 747 (pre 747-400) which didn't have the London-Japan range.
The quality of care will surely be much better than if you have diverted somewhere in the middle of Russia. And there won't be language barrier. They'll be accommodated on Alaska to Sea-Tac or one of them west coast airports to continue their journey to London.
Better care but hopefully avoiding a giant bill at the end of it...
Or hope some clause on their credit card or work insurance policy covers emergencies like this.
Of course, I'd much rather have a hospital bill as the main consequence to navigate versus being stuck at a hospital in middle-of-nowhere Russia!
Anchorage was the stopover point on European - Japan flights until the 1990s when overflying Russia wasn’t permitted before perestroika.
It is the shortest route in western airspace.
FYI, JAL started direct Tokyo-London and Tokyo-Paris flight from 1986, and Tokyo-Frankfurt from 1988. However, JAL continued to serve other european destination (Copenhagen, Madrid, Zurich.,,) with Anchorage stopover even after collapse of Soviet Union - maybe at that time there is a maximum flight allowed over Russian airspace.
If I recall correctly after they started opening up the airspace, Russia charged (and likely still does) quite high overflight/ATC handling fees, and airlines minimized them where possible. I can see them justifying the cost for Tokyo-London/Paris/Frankfurt, but not the less premium routes.
Pan Am once had a Tokyo-JFK route that stopped for fuel in Fairbanks (FAI). In May of 1970 while in the Army I flew in their 707 from FAI to JFK. I still remember my checked bag with tape saying "Boarded at FAI," presumably so I could skip customs at JFK.
That is not correct. BA, for example, used to fly both over Russian airspace AND via Anchorage; the USSR limited the number of overflights.
It would have been heard of way back in the days of the USSR. In fact, I think BA's service to and from NRT included a stop at AKC (less range, plus at the time you had to dodge the rest of the UFFR (Union of Fewer and Fewer Republics). The past is prologue.
Both Anchorage and Fairbanks had a very busy international travel business until the 'Nineties. Russia easing restrictions and the increasing range of the aircraft pretty much ended it and left us with empty international terminals. Anchorage remains the third largest cargo airport in the World.
and left us with empty international terminals
...but still fully-stocked with customs/FIS agents, due to the massive cargo hub. As such, it's probably the best place in the country to go to, if you need a Global Entry interview.
Popped up there past October and scored a next-day interview with super-friendly customs agents (who were probably glad to have something to do during the daytime!) whereas the waitlist for both LAX and SFO was several MONTHS.