30.03.2026 08:44
Passenger flights that were suspended between China and North Korea after the COVID-19 pandemic have resumed. The first flight on the Beijing-Pyongyang route has taken place, with two flights planned per week. With the resumption of train services, the transportation and normalization process between the two countries has gained momentum.
The air travel between China and North Korea, which had been suspended for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has resumed. The flight conducted this morning is considered an important step in the normalization process between the two countries.
FIRST FLIGHT IN 6 YEARS TOOK OFF
The flight “CA121” belonging to China’s flagship airline Air China took off from Beijing at 08:05 local time and arrived in Pyongyang at 11:00. Thus, the first regular passenger flight between the two countries after the pandemic has taken place.
TWO FLIGHTS PER WEEK PLANNED
Air China plans to operate two round-trip flights per week on the Beijing-Pyongyang route with flights “CA121/CA122.” It was stated that the flights would be conducted with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
NORTH KOREA INCREASED FLIGHTS
North Korea’s national airline Air Koryo also resumed its flights to China at the end of 2023. The company currently operates two flights per week to Beijing and Shinyang.
TRAIN SERVICES HAVE ALSO RESUMED
The normalization between the two countries was not limited to air travel. Train services, which were halted due to COVID-19, were also resumed in the middle of this month. Thus, an important threshold has been crossed in land and air transportation.
NORMALIZATION PROCESS AT BORDERS HAS ACCELERATED
Experts state that the resumption of flights will contribute to the revitalization of economic and diplomatic relations between China and North Korea. The steps taken indicate that the isolation in the region is gradually coming to an end after the pandemic.