North Korean airline cuts number of flights to Beijing
Air Koryo gives no formal reason for reduction in services, but it may be due to falling demand amid international sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme
North Korea’s national airline has reduced the number of weekly flights connecting Pyongyang and Beijing from the start of this month, a company official said on Thursday, without providing a reason for the decision.
Air Koryo may have cut the number of flights from three to two due to reduced tourist demand over the winter and the need to save on aviation fuel, which is subject to an export ban under UN sanctions imposed over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
The airline will continue a twice-weekly flight schedule until the end of February, the official said. Up to December, Air Koryo had served the route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, but has now discontinued the Thursday flights.
The carrier suspended flights connecting Pyongyang and China’s Shenyang in late December, but plans to resume the service in mid-January.
Air China also serves the Pyongyang-Beijing route, but the Chinese airline suspended flights in late November due to a lack of demand.
It is expected to resume the service, but no earlier than March.
