Air China has resumed direct passenger flights between Beijing and Pyongyang, marking the restoration of a key link after a six-year suspension. The first flight, CA121, departed Beijing Capital International Airport on Monday morning and arrived at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport later that day, according to flight tracking data.
This development follows the recent resumption of passenger train services between the two capitals and signals a cautious reopening by North Korea, which had sealed its borders in 2020 during the global pandemic. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and a critical source of economic and diplomatic support for the isolated state.
The inaugural flight was operated by a Boeing 737-700. Reports indicate that only travelers with specific purposes—such as business, study, or official duties—are currently permitted to make the journey. Chinese diplomats, including Ambassador Wang Yajun, welcomed passengers upon arrival in Pyongyang. In Beijing, travelers formed queues at the airport, and one business passenger, Zhao Bin, expressed optimism that both air and rail connections would expand, fostering greater people-to-people exchanges.
Economy class tickets for the route were listed at approximately $200, with a return flight scheduled. While China has fully reopened its borders, North Korea’s pace of reopening remains gradual. Last year, Pyongyang restored direct flights and train services with Russia, and its state carrier, Air Koryo, resumed flights to Beijing in 2023.
The resumption is poised to benefit Chinese travelers, who constituted the vast majority of foreign visitors to North Korea before the pandemic, numbering around 350,000 in 2019. However, a specialist tour operator noted that there is no confirmation yet on when—or if—tourists from Western countries will be permitted to travel on the Air China route.
This step underscores ongoing efforts to revive cross-border connectivity after years of near-complete isolation, reinforcing the close bilateral relationship described by travelers as being “as close as brothers.” The restored air link is expected to facilitate essential travel and may lay the groundwork for a broader, though still limited, reopening of tourism and commerce between the two nations.
