Russia’s Nordwind Requests Permission To Fly Moscow–Pyongyang

Russia’s Nordwind Airlines has requested permission from Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) for flight clearance from Moscow to Pyongyang, North Korea. Permission is being sought for flights up to two times a week. There are currently no direct flights between the capitals of Russia and North Korea.

Flight times between Moscow and Pyongyang direct would be about 8.5 hours. North Korea is keen to develop its tourism industry with Russian nationals a target market.

The alternative route is direct railroad communication between Pyongyang and Moscow and Pyongyang and Khabarovsk, which resumed earlier in June. According to Russian Railways, Pyongyang-Moscow is the longest nonstop railroad route in the world. The distance between the capitals is more than 10,000 kilometers, and the travel time is eight days.