Russian leisure airline Nordwind successfully landed in Pyongyang on Monday morning, marking the first direct flight between Moscow and North Korea’s capital city in over 75 years.
Up till now, the sole direct air air service between Russia and North Korea linked Pyongyang with Vladivostok, a port city in Russia’s Far East, and was flown by the North Korean state airline, Air Koryo. The reinstatement of regular flights between the two capitals – which had been suspended for over 75 years – indicates a strengthening of diplomatic relations, according to officials.
This month, Nordwind obtained an approval to commence operations on the new route, intending to provide one round-trip flight each month. The first flight, operating with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, carried Russian government and civil aviation officials in addition to regular passengers.
At Pyongyang International Airport, the flight was greeted by Yun Jong-ho, the North Korean Foreign Economic Affairs Minister, who described the new air service as a move towards “the prosperity of the peoples of our two nations.”
Media reports suggested that the majority of passengers on the flight were North Korean citizens returning to their homeland. One traveler expressed to the Ruptly video agency her hope that enhanced relations with Russia would foster tourism in North Korea.
The flight spans a distance exceeding 6,400 kilometers and has a duration of about eight hours. The tickets for the first flight were priced at approximately $570.
In the previous year, Moscow and Pyongyang formalized a detailed bilateral cooperation agreement, which delineates their intentions to enhance their partnership.
Leave a Comment