Air China on Monday restarted direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang, ending a six-year hiatus and marking another step in North Korea’s gradual reopening following the resumption of train services between the capitals.
Flight CA121 departed Beijing Capital Airport at 7:58 am local time (2358 GMT Sunday) and landed at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport at 10:37 am (0137 GMT), according to FlightStats. The Boeing 737-700 aircraft has a capacity of 128 passengers, though only travellers with business, study, or special purposes are permitted to make the cross-border journey.
China, North Korea’s largest trading partner and key diplomatic supporter, has long acted as a lifeline for the isolated nation, which sealed its borders during the pandemic in 2020.
Wang Yajun and other Chinese diplomats welcomed passengers at the airport, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
Business traveller Zhao Bin, who frequently travels between the two capitals, expressed optimism about the resumption of flights and railway services. “I expect both railway routes and Air China flights will increase, and there will be more exchanges and travel between people,” he said, adding that the relationship between the countries “is now as close as brothers.”
Air China has not disclosed the number of passengers on the first flight. Economy class tickets were priced at around $200, and a return flight from Pyongyang was scheduled for midday.
Daily passenger train services between China and North Korea also resumed earlier this month. However, despite China fully reopening its borders, North Korea has been proceeding at a slower pace. The country previously resumed direct flights and train services with Russia and restarted Air Koryo flights between Beijing and Pyongyang in 2023.
Young Pioneer Tours, a specialist operator for North Korea travel, noted that Air China’s resumed route improves connectivity but cautioned that there is “still no further confirmation regarding Western tourists.”
Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists accounted for the majority of foreign visitors to North Korea, with around 350,000 arrivals in 2019, providing a major revenue source for Pyongyang. By contrast, roughly 5,000 Western tourists visited the country annually, with Americans making up 20 percent of that number, according to the 38 North programme at the Stimson Center.
