Korean airline resumes flights to China

North Korea’s national carrier set to resume flights between Pyongyang and Beijing this week, its website showed on Thursday, drawing attention to whether the route would resume after 14 months of suspension amid coronavirus.

According to the flight schedule released on Air Koryo’s website, the airline’s JS251 flight will depart Pyongyang at 4:00 p.m. and arrive Beijing at 5:50 p.m. on Thursday.

“Another flight is scheduled to depart from Beijing for Pyongyang on Friday,” the airline stated.

The flights could mark the first time the North has operated an international commercial flight since January last year when it closed all ports of entry by land, sea or air as part of efforts to block the COVID-19 virus from spreading into the country.

It was, however, unclear whether the North would actually resume flights.

In February last year, the airline released its flight schedule to the Russian port city of Vladivostok but did not operate the flights.

North Korea has not reported any case of COVID-19 virus infection, but it has called for nationwide efforts to prevent the virus from breaking out on its soil through intensified border controls and tightened quarantine processes.