Russia starts direct commercial flights between Moscow and Pyongyang
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Direct commercial flights between Russia and North Korea begin amid closer ties
The first flight operated by Russian carrier Nordwind took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport carrying over 400 passengers. Russia’s Transport Ministry said there will be one flight a month to meet demand. Russia and North Korea have sharply expanded military and other ties in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying weapons and troops to back Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
The first flight operated by Russian carrier Nordwind took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport carrying over 400 passengers. Russia’s Transport Ministry said there will be one flight a month to meet demand.
Passengers gather to check in for the first flight connecting Moscow and Pyongyang at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International airport, amidst the warming relations between Russia and North Korea outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 27, 2025. AP Photo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea’s new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort earlier this month to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, promised to encourage Russian tourists to visit the complex.
The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, is at the center of Kim’s push to boost tourism to improve his country’s troubled economy.
North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn’t said if it would fully resume international tourism.
Russia’s Nordwind Airlines Boeing 777-200ER takes off for the first flight connecting Moscow and Pyongyang at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. / AP
Regular flights between Russia’s eastern port city of Vladivostok and Pyongyang reopened in 2023 following a break caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia and North Korea have sharply expanded military and other ties in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying weapons and troops to back Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
Russia Starts Direct Commercial Flights Between Moscow, Pyongyang
The first flight operated by Russian carrier Nordwind took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport carrying over 400 passengers. Russia’s Transport Ministry said there will be one flight a month to meet demand. North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn’t said if it would fully resume international tourism.
The first flight operated by Russian carrier Nordwind took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport carrying over 400 passengers. Russia’s Transport Ministry said there will be one flight a month to meet demand.
Also Read | Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‘Spends Day Sleeping and Using Drugs’, Says Mossad-Linked X Account.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea’s new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort earlier this month to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, promised to encourage Russian tourists to visit the complex.
The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, is at the centre of Kim’s push to boost tourism to improve his country’s troubled economy.
Also Read | American Airlines Flight 3023 Fire: Passengers Flee Smoking Jet on Emergency Slide After Apparent Landing Gear Problem at Denver Airport (Watch Video).
North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn’t said if it would fully resume international tourism.
Regular flights between Russia’s eastern port city of Vladivostok and Pyongyang reopened in 2023 following a break caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia and North Korea have sharply expanded military and other ties in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying weapons and troops to back Russia’s military action in Ukraine. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)
Russia launches monthly direct flights to North Korea amid growing ties
The first Moscow-Pyongyang service, operated by Nordwind Airlines, departed Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday. The route will only be serviced once a month at first. The two countries have been forging closer military bonds in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying troops and weapons for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. Tickets for Nordwind, which used to transport Russians to European vacation spots prior to the EU banning Russian flights, cost 45,000 rubles ($570)
People wait outside Terminal C at the Sheremetyevo international airport outside Moscow, Russia. File image/ Reuters
Russia inaugurated direct commercial flights to North Korea on Sunday, signalling deeper links with its Asian ally that will aid its push in Ukraine.
According to the Sheremetyevo airport’s website, the first Moscow-Pyongyang flight operated by Russia’s Nordwind Airlines took off at 16:25 GMT.
It is slated to arrive in the North Korean capital around eight hours later.
However, Russia’s transport ministry stated that the route will only be serviced once a month at first.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Tickets for Nordwind Airlines, which used to transport Russians to European vacation spots prior to the EU banning Russian flights, cost 45,000 rubles ($570).
“This is a historical event, strengthening the ties between our nations,” Oleg, a Nordwind employee managing the flight who did not want to give his full name, told AFP at the airport.
More from World Ukrainian drone strikes force Kremlin to scale down Navy Day celebrations
He also declined to say how many passengers were on board.
“For the first time in more than 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are launching direct flights between the capitals of our countries,” Russia’s deputy transport minister Vladimir Poteshkin was quoted as saying by the ministry’s Telegram account.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that the first return flight from Pyongyang to Moscow would take place on Tuesday.
Russia and North Korea restored train links on June 17 after suspending them in 2020 during the Covid pandemic.
The two countries have been forging closer military bonds in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying troops and weapons for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
They signed a mutual defence pact last year, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea.
North Korea confirmed for the first time in April that it had deployed a contingent of its soldiers to the frontline in Ukraine, alongside Russian troops.
Air corridor opens: Russia starts direct flights from Moscow to North Korea’s Pyongyang; ties take off with monthly operations confirmed
The first flight departed from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport at 16:25 GMT on Sunday. It is expected to reach the North Korean capital in around eight hours. The route will initially operate once a month, according to Russia’s transport ministry. Tickets were priced at 45,000 rubles, or around $570. The resumption of direct flights comes amid deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. The renewed air link signals not only increasing military coordination but also a push for broader economic and tourism ties between the two countries.
The first flight, operated by Nordwind Airlines, departed from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport at 16:25 GMT on Sunday and is expected to reach the North Korean capital in around eight hours, reported news agency AFP.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
“This is a historical event, strengthening the ties between our nations,” said a Nordwind staffer involved in the operation, although he declined to reveal the number of passengers aboard. The route will initially operate once a month, according to Russia’s transport ministry.
Tickets were priced at 45,000 rubles, or around $570.
“For the first time in more than 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are launching direct flights between the capitals of our countries,” Russia’s deputy transport minister, Vladimir Poteshkin, was quoted as saying on the ministry’s Telegram channel, according to AFP.
Russia’s state-run TASS agency reported that the first return flight from Pyongyang to Moscow is scheduled for Tuesday. These flights are part of a broader pattern of increasing engagement between the two countries.
As per news agency AP, over 400 passengers were aboard the inaugural flight. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who recently visited North Korea’s Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort, has promised to promote tourism between the two countries.
The newly developed beach resort is central to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s strategy to revive the country’s economy through tourism.
North Korea, which had sealed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, has gradually resumed travel links. Train services between the two countries resumed on June 17, and air travel between Pyongyang and Russia’s Vladivostok had already restarted in 2023.
The resumption of direct flights comes amid deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
North Korea has supplied weapons and troops to support Russia’s operations in Ukraine, according to AP.
In 2024, North Korea confirmed it had deployed its soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces. The two nations also signed a mutual defence pact during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang last year.
The renewed air link, symbolic of their strengthening alliance, signals not only increasing military coordination but also a push for broader economic and tourism ties between the heavily sanctioned nations.
Russia starts direct flights to North Korea with initial service just once a month and tickets priced at $570
The first Moscow-Pyongyang flight took off at 1625 GMT. It is scheduled to land in the North Korean capital some eight hours later. The route will only be serviced once a month, Russia’s transport ministry said. The two countries have been forging closer ties in recent years. They signed a mutual defence pact last year, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea.
The first Moscow-Pyongyang flight, operated by Russia’s Nordwind Airlines, took off at 1625 GMT, according to the Sheremetyevo airport’s website.
It is scheduled to land in the North Korean capital some eight hours later.
But initially, the route will only be serviced once a month, Russia’s transport ministry said.
Nordwind Airlines — which used to carry Russians to holiday destinations in Europe before the EU imposed a ban on Russian flights — had tickets priced at 45,000 rubles ($570).
“This is a historical event, strengthening the ties between our nations,” Oleg, a Nordwind employee managing the flight who did not want to give his full name, told AFP at the airport.
He also declined to say how many passengers were on board.
“For the first time in more than 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are launching direct flights between the capitals of our countries,” Russia’s deputy transport minister Vladimir Poteshkin was quoted as saying by the ministry’s Telegram account.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that the first return flight from Pyongyang to Moscow would take place on Tuesday.
Russia and North Korea restored train links on June 17 after suspending them in 2020 during the Covid pandemic.
The two countries have been forging closer military bonds in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying troops and weapons for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
They signed a mutual defence pact last year, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea.
North Korea confirmed for the first time in April that it had deployed a contingent of its soldiers to the frontline in Ukraine, alongside Russian troops.