Sydney Airport Message Board - Air China Announces Beijing-Pyongyang

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Air China Announces Beijing-Pyongyang

Quote:

BEIJING, March 31 (Reuters) - Air China on Monday launched flights to North Korea, making it the world's only foreign airline to fly regularly to the country's capital, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Beijing-Pyongyang air link comes as tensions have flared between North and South Korea.

North Korea has threatened to attack the South in recent days and sent jet fighters to test its neighbour's air defences as it tries to push a new government in Seoul to back off from an increasingly hard line in their bilateral relations.

Analysts have said that China, one of North Korea's biggest benefactors and the closest the destitute state has to a major ally, would lean on the hermit state to prevent the situation on the Korean peninsula spinning out of control.

The Beijing-Pyongyang flight route was postponed by three months after Air China said preparatory work took longer than expected.

Air China will fly the return trip three times per week, making Pyongyang a Star Alliance destination, the airline grouping led by Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and United Airlines.

Air China said previously that it saw the financial potential in the route, primarily from the Chinese tourist business.

North Korea's air links have been almost entirely provided by the Russian-built aircraft of state carrier Air Koryo.

Previously, China Southern Airlines had flown to Pyongyang. It stopped flights in 2006 soon after North Korea carried out a nuclear test, though it was not clear if Beijing ordered the airline to drop the route. (Reporting by Simon Rabinovitch; Editing by David Fogarty)

Reuters.com

Service is thrice weekly, operated by B737's.

Currently Air Koryo operates the only scheduled flights between the two capitals.

My father and I have been planning a trip for around a month now. This definately shows the changing-face of North Korean international relations.

N

Quote:

North Korea has threatened to attack the South in recent days and sent jet fighters to test its neighbour's air defences as it tries to push a new government in Seoul to back off from an increasingly hard line in their bilateral relations.

not a changing face at all...they are both communist dictatorships and China is the major source of aid for the North Korean people. it was probably inevitable that these flights started sooner or later.

when you see a democratic countries carrier start flying into Pyongyang then you could trumpet it as a change in international relations...

North Korea has been isolationist up until only a few years ago, and now the allow flights in by a foreign carrier. This is a change in international relations.

Every political insitution has their skeletons, even the democratic ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick W. (Post 1457)

they've always maintained relations with China & Russia..always, this isn't something new in terms of NK, China and Russia having relations. who do you think the North Koreans have been using as a go between for the last 3 decades?

it was inevitable as I said that this would happen..just as the Chinese allowed Air Koryo into Beijing the North Koreans are now allowing their closest ally and Air China into Pyongyang. even a Stalinst state like North Korea has relations with certain countries in the outside world.

I think every state has the right to expand within their realm of allies, and if NK wants to expand within only a select few who they feel they can work best with then that's their perogative. The reality is that in the past 5 years NK has become less of an isolationist state and has embraced the fact that is it part of planet earth. Not even the most democratic of states trade with every single nation on earth.

Speaking of "go-to" countries for North Korea, you'll probably recall that in the famine of last year australia stepped up to provide relief. The mere fact that they accepted this relief, as compared to how NK even denied physical Russian support in the korean shows how much they have changed.

I do understand your logic, Montague, I really do, and to a degree I agree with you. But at the same time NK is torn between it's stalinist ideals and the reality of human existance which it is only just realising. Baby steps for this nation

And now the thread come aaaaall the way back on topic.

Pyongyang a star alliance port? Somehow I doubt that OneWorld will be jumping in to compete, that is unless the route proves itself. But similarly, I wonder if a star alliance lounge will open? We can only hope so :cool:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick W. (Post 1488)

Pyongyang a star alliance port? Somehow I doubt that OneWorld will be jumping in to compete, that is unless the route proves itself. But similarly, I wonder if a star alliance lounge will open? We can only hope so :cool:

I port by default you might say Nick. The only reason it has become said port is due to Air China being a Star Alliance member.