Long time no... fly! - Air China resumes Beijing-Pyongyang flights after six-year hiatus

"Air China on Monday resumed direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang after more than six years of suspension. This is another step towards restoring travel between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), following the resumption of train services between the two capitals earlier this month. Footage filmed at Beijing Capital International Airport shows passengers waiting in line at check-in desks, with flight CA121 to Pyongyang listed on the departure board. "Air China’s flights from Beijing to Pyongyang had been suspended for six years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that service has just resumed today, I am very happy to be taking the first flight to Pyongyang since the resumption," expressed Zhao, a traveller. Given the two countries' close ties 'with a brotherly bond', he said the resumption of flights could facilitate people-to-people exchanges. The flight option is also seen as a more time‑efficient and popular mode of travel than the recently restored train services between Beijing and Pyongyang. "I believe the DPRK’s next step will likely be to resume tourism services for Chinese visitors. At that time, I expect both rail services and Air China flights to increase, leading to greater people-to-people exchanges," Zhao added. According to Air China, flight CA121 departed Beijing Capital International Airport at 8:05 a.m. Beijing time (00:05 GMT) on Monday and arrived in Pyongyang at 11:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT). Cross-border travel has been sharply limited since 2020, after the two neighbours imposed strict border closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The DPRK remains largely closed to foreign tourists, with only a few exceptions for Russian tour groups under strict conditions, according to travel agencies that organise trips to the country."

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