▲ Passengers wait at a check-in counter to board a flight to Pyongyang at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, on March 30, 2026, in this AFP photo. (Yonhap)

N Korea-China-direct flights

China's flag carrier resumes Beijing-Pyongyang direct flights: reports

SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- China's national carrier has resumed direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang, news reports said Monday, the latest sign of restored ties following the resumption of passenger train service between their capitals.

An Air China flight departed Beijing Capital International Airport early Monday en route to Pyongyang, marking the resumption of flights between the two cities after a six-year hiatus, according to AFP and China's Xinhua agency.

Chinese airlines had halted flight operations to Pyongyang since January 2020, amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and soured bilateral relations.

North Korea's Air Koryo resumed the Beijing-Pyongyang route in August 2023, and the flights are currently operating twice a week.

The resumption of Chinese flights to Pyongyang reflects the restored ties between the two states, backed by the highest level of diplomacy, which has gained momentum after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Beijing in September last year.

While in Beijing, Kim held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed to deepen economic cooperation and improve ties.

North Korea and China also resumed train service earlier this month for the first time in six years. In 2022, the two sides resumed cross-border cargo train service connecting Dandong and Sinuiju.

The passenger train service, which began in 1954, has long been regarded as a symbol of friendship between the two countries. China is North Korea's traditional ally and economic benefactor.

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