Seoul (ICN) to Tokyo (NRT) shipping route.

Seoul to Tokyo by air: flight distance 1,320 km, heading east from South Korea to Japan. The shortest line over the globe is 1,257 km, and real airways add the rest.

Flight time is about 2 h 24 min at 800 km/h block speed. On a short route like this one, trucking under an air waybill (road feeder service) is common, and the cargo may never board a plane. Door to door air freight transit time is usually 1 to 3 days longer than the flight because of acceptance, security screening, customs and handling at both airports.

In the week we checked there were 10 flights between ICN and NRT, 3 of them on freighters, operated by Jin Air and Korean Air.

Air freight rates are charged per kilogram of chargeable weight: the higher of the actual weight and the volume weight (length x width x height in cm divided by 6,000). Light, bulky cargo pays for space, so compact packing on Seoul to Tokyo saves money. The shipment crosses from South Korea into Japan, so export and import customs clearance are part of the lead time.

Among 69 routes from Seoul (ICN) in this directory, Tokyo (NRT) is the 5th shortest by flight distance. Shorter flights from Seoul: Hangzhou (1,026 km), Beijing (947 km) and Osaka (903 km).