Direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang have officially commenced this week, marking a symbolic deepening of diplomatic and military relations between Russia and North Korea, as well as offering Russian travellers a rare new international route.
The inaugural flight, operated by Russia’s Nordwind Airlines, departed from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Sunday and arrived in the North Korean capital approximately eight hours later, according to the airport’s official website.
Russia’s transport ministry confirmed that the route would initially operate on a monthly basis, with the first return flight from Pyongyang to Moscow scheduled for Tuesday.
Tickets for the route were priced at 45,000 roubles (around £350), according to Nordwind Airlines. The airline, once known for flying Russians to European holiday destinations before EU sanctions halted those operations, is now serving destinations in countries still open to Russian aviation.
“This is a historic event, strengthening the ties between our nations,” said Oleg, a Nordwind employee overseeing the flight. He declined to provide his surname or the number of passengers aboard the plane.
Russia and North Korea have significantly tightened their cooperation in recent years, particularly in military matters. Pyongyang has reportedly provided troops and weapons to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine. In 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea, during which the two countries signed a mutual defence pact.
“For the first time in more than 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are launching direct flights between the capitals of our countries,” said Russia’s deputy transport minister, Vladimir Poteshkin, via the ministry’s Telegram channel.
The launch also comes as North Korea cautiously reopens its doors to foreign visitors after years of strict pandemic-related border closures. While regular tourism remains largely off-limits, select Russian tourists have been permitted to visit on tightly controlled group tours. In April, foreign athletes participated in a marathon in Pyongyang, signalling a tentative revival of tourism.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is also seeking to boost domestic tourism. In June, he unveiled a new beach resort on the country’s eastern coast, with hopes of attracting up to 20,000 visitors annually.
The new Moscow-Pyongyang route is a rare travel corridor for Russians, whose international options have shrunk dramatically since the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions and airspace restrictions imposed by Western nations.
