Direct air travel between Beijing and Pyongyang has officially resumed, with China’s national carrier restarting flights to North Korea’s capital on Monday.
The move follows closely behind the recent restoration of cross-border passenger train services linking the two cities.
According to Chinese state media, the arriving Air China flight was received by China’s ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, alongside other diplomatic officials.
The reopening of this air route comes just weeks after passenger rail services between the two countries resumed on March 12.
Transport links between China and North Korea, including both flights and trains, had remained suspended since early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Korea’s national airline, Air Koryo, had already restarted flights between the capitals in 2023.
During the pandemic, North Korea imposed a strict ban on foreign tourists.
However, the country has recently begun to ease those restrictions, allowing a Russian tour group to enter in 2024.
Before the border closure, Chinese tourists accounted for approximately 90 per cent of all visitors to North Korea.
The slow pace in resuming Chinese tour groups has raised questions among observers.
China continues to be North Korea’s largest trading partner and a key ally, although Beijing has repeatedly voiced concerns over Pyongyang’s missile tests, which have the potential to target South Korea and the United States.
In a notable diplomatic development, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Beijing in September to attend a large-scale military parade, marking the first appearance by a North Korean leader at such an event in decades.
