New Air Link: Moscow to Pyongyang Flights Set to Start This Month

Russia plans to initiate direct flights from Moscow to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, later this month, as reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) on Wednesday.

The country’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, has granted a license to the charter airline Nordwind for bi-weekly flights between Moscow and Pyongyang, according to information from ATOR. Nordwind is said to have requested the license in June.

At present, the only direct air service connecting the two nations is a bi-weekly flight operated by Air Koryo between Pyongyang and Vladivostok, a city in the Russian Far East. This route resumed in August 2023 after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around the time that flights between Vladivostok and Pyongyang restarted, it was reported that Rosaviatsia had urged Russian airlines to create regular services to North Korea after discussions with North Korean aviation representatives.

As per ATOR’s update, Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow included flights to Pyongyang in its timetable starting July 27.

Since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Moscow in 2022, North Korea has emerged as one of Russia’s key allies. The United States and its partners have accused Pyongyang of providingRussia with artillery and ballistic missiles intended for use in Ukraine.

High-ranking Russian officials have undertaken several significant visits to North Korea, and the two nations formalized a mutual defense agreement during President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Pyongyang last year.