The first direct flight from the Russian capital to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, departed from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on 27 July. The flight is operated by Nordwind Airlines using a Boeing 777 aircraft, with the return flight scheduled for 29 July.
Rosaviatsia issued the company a permit to fly to the DPRK in early July. According to Russian media reports, flights on the route Moscow – Pyongyang and back will be carried out once a month “to form a stable demand and load of flights”.
There are also direct flights between Vladivostok and Pyongyang, but they are operated by North Korean airline Air Koryo, with tickets sold only as part of a sightseeing tour to North Korea.
Last year, Russia and North Korea resumed regular passenger rail services, which were halted in 2020 due to the pandemic.