Pyongyang/Moscow, July 29 (UNI) After years of hiatus, direct flights between Pyongyang and Moscow have resumed due to demand from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russia, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Tuesday.
The first passenger plane flying from Moscow arrived at Pyongyang International Airport on Monday about eight hours after taking off from Russia’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. The flight was greeted by a ceremonial water salute at the DPRK airport, said the KCNA report.
Addressing a welcome ceremony, Yun Jong Ho, the DPRK minister of external economic relations, said resuming direct flights between the two capitals marks a rapid development of bilateral ties, the report said.
The first return flight to Moscow after years is scheduled for Tuesday. Russia’s Ministry of Transport has said that for the time being, direct flights will be offered once a month.
Russia’s Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, who traveled on board the first flight to Pyongyang for talks on Russia-DPRK cooperation, told Russia’s TASS news agency that the flight frequency will be determined after an assessment of passenger traffic.
A direct air route is likely to be opened between Moscow and Wonsan city on the DPRK’s east coast in the future, he said.
Presently, the DPRK’s flag carrier Air Koryo operates a direct flight between Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok and Pyongyang three times a week.
Passenger train traffic between Pyongyang and Moscow resumed on June 17.
