Direct Flights to North Korea? Russia Considers New Air Routes Amid Growing Tourist Demand

Direct flights between Russia and North Korea are being considered, signaling a new tourism and economic cooperation phase.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on Thursday, citing Russian state-run media TASS, that Nikita Kondratiev, Director of the Department for Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, mentioned the possibility of establishing direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. He noted that this could be considered if North Korea finalizes travel packages and Russian tourists have sufficient interest.

Kondratiev added that from the following November, Russian tourism companies plan to visit North Korea to explore the country’s main tourist destinations, saying the Russian Ministry of Economic Development has maintained a productive relationship with North Korea in tourism since early this year.

Currently, only one direct flight route operates between Vladivostok and Pyongyang, running semiweekly. North Korea has welcomed Russian tourists since lifting COVID-19 restrictions in February, with approximately 600 Russian tourists visiting by now.

Natalya Naboychenko, the tourism minister of Primorsky Krai, stated to TASS in March, “In just six months since February, about 600 tourists have visited North Korea, and 75% of them are from other regions, including St. Petersburg.”

Predictions suggest that the number of Russian tourists traveling to North Korea could reach 10,000 next year. However, some forecasts indicate that the numbers may not rise significantly due to North Korea’s stringent controls.

Andrei Lankov, an expert in North Korea from Russia and a professor at Kookmin University, told RFA, “Due to dissatisfaction with strict controls, not many people will choose to travel to North Korea.”

Meanwhile, the European Committee decided in May to continue prohibiting the operation of Air Koryo passenger flights in the region due to safety standard deficiencies.

Meanwhile, the European Committee decided in May to maintain a ban on Air Koryo passenger flights in the region due to safety standard deficiencies. However, two Russian-made TU-204 passenger aircraft from Air Koryo are exempt from these restrictions. Air Koryo, placed on the EU’s complete flight ban list in 2006, was allowed to operate under strict limitations after acquiring the TU-204 aircraft in March 2010.

Given that the distance between Moscow and Pyongyang is nine times greater than between Vladivostok and Pyongyang, ensuring the safety of long-distance flights remains a crucial concern.