Air corridor opens: Russia starts direct flights from Moscow to North Korea's Pyongyang; ties take off with monthly operations confirmed

Russia has started direct commercial flights between Moscow and Pyongyang, marking a significant expansion in its relations with North Korea. 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."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. 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.