![A ceremony takes place at Pyongyang International Airport on July 28 to welcome the first direct flight from Moscow. The Transport Ministry of Russia says flights to the capital of North Korea are set to operate once a month to generate steady demand. [YONHAP]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/0728-Airplane.jpg)
A Moscow-Pyongyang direct flight landed in the North Korean capital on July 28, marking the first non-stop commercial passenger service between the two countries, according to TASS News Agency. The flight represents a notable milestone in growing cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER operated by Russian airline Nordwind, departed Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow at 7:25 p.m. local time on July 27. It arrived in Pyongyang after approximately eight hours, carrying 440 passengers, including a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov.
Upon arrival, North Korean officials welcomed the passengers with flower bouquets, highlighting the significance of the occasion.
Vladimir Poteshkin, Russia’s deputy transport minister, described the flight as the first-ever direct air link between the two capitals in more than 70 years of diplomatic relations. In a post on Telegram, he emphasized the symbolic weight of the new route.
A representative from Nordwind Airlines called the inaugural flight “a historic moment that strengthens ties between the two nations,” according to AFP. Tickets for the route were priced at 45,000 rubles (approximately 780,000 Korean won).
The return flight to Moscow is scheduled for July 29, according to TASS. Last month, Nordwind Airlines requested approval from Russian aviation authorities for twice-weekly flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. The request was approved on July 9.
However, the Russian Ministry of Transport stated that, for now, the service will operate once a month to “build stable demand.”
Until now, the only direct air service between the two countries was a route operated by North Korea’s Air Koryo between Vladivostok and Pyongyang, which runs three times weekly.
The new Moscow-Pyongyang direct flight reflects the countries’ intention to deepen bilateral ties, both symbolically and logistically.
BY MOOYOUNG LEE [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]
