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Air China resumed direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang on Monday, further restoring travel links between the two capitals. The flight was welcomed by Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun and other diplomats, according to state media. This development follows the March 12 resumption of passenger train services between China and North Korea.
Flights and passenger trains to North Korea had been suspended since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
North Korean carrier Air Koryo resumed flights between the capitals in 2023.
North Korea banned all foreign tourists during the pandemic but has started easing the restrictions, with a Russian tour group entering the country in 2024.
Chinese tour groups had made up 90% of all visitors to North Korea before the ban, and the delay on resuming Chinese tours surprised observers.
China is Pyongyang’s biggest trading partner and major ally, but Beijing has expressed disapproval over the years over North Korea’s test-launches of missiles that could be used to target South Korea and the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing in September to attend a massive military parade, marking the first time a North Korean leader had been present at a Chinese military parade in decades.
