Air Koryo (formerly Chosŏn
Minhang (조선민항 |
Корё
Ханггонг
(Koryo Khanggong)), short
for Air Koryo) is the state-owned national flag
carrier airline of North Korea, headquartered in
Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang. It operates international
services and charter flights to points in Asia and
Africa. The carrier is based at Sunan International
Airport (IATA: FNJ).
Air Koryo has offices in Beijing,
Shenyang, Macau, Bangkok, Toronto, Berlin, Moscow, as
well as sales agencies in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur,
Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.
History
The end of the Cold War and the
collapse of communism in Europe saw a vast reduction in
the number of international services offered. CAAK
became Air Koryo in 1993. Also in 1993 Air Koryo ordered
3 Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft to carry extra cargo to
its destinations in China and Russia. Air Koryo recently
purchased 2 new Tupolev Tu-204 aircraft to replace the
aging international fleet. Air Koryo has also started
modernizing its fleet interiors. With the new Tu-204 Air
Koryo would be able to fly to Europe
In September 2009 Air Koryo opted
to order a further example of the Tu-204-300 aircraft
and in addition a single Tupolev Tu-204-100. These
aircraft will see to the replacement of aging aircraft
in their current fleet. Air Koryo is also in talks over
possible orders for Sukhoi Superjet 100 to replace the
aging Tu-134 and An-24 aircraft.
Air Koryo will be receiving its
first of two Tupolev Tu-204-100B aircraft fitted with
210 seats. The aircraft will be used to replace the
aging aircraft currently in their fleet. Flights to
Dalian, China have been added to the Air Koryo schedule
with a twice weekly Tu-134 flights from Pyongyang and
direct services from Pyongyang to Shanghai Pudong have
been inaugurated with a two weekly service via JS522 and
returning on JS523 opened this year.
On 30 March 2010, Air Koryo had
two Tu-204 aircraft lifted from the European blacklist
allowing the airline to recommence flights to Europe.
Destinations
Main article: Air Koryo
destinations
Inter-Korea
flights
The first regular charter flights
between North Korea and South Korea began in 2003. The
first Air Koryo flight operated by a Tupolev Tu-154
touched down at Seoul's Incheon International Airport.
Air Koryo operated 40 return services to Seoul along
with flights into Yangyang and Busan in South Korea.
Inter-Korean charters from Hamhung Airport to Yangyang
International in South Korea began in 2002. Yangyang has
since been suspended as Yangyang International Airport
was closed in late 2008.
Fleet
Air Koryo operates 38 aircraft in
its passenger fleet and 4+ in its cargo fleet (as of 26
July 2010):
Air Koryo Fleet
| Aircraft |
In Fleet |
Orders |
Passengers
(Business/Economy) |
Notes |
| Antonov An-24 |
7 |
0 |
52 (0/52) |
Five An-24RV's and two
An-24R's |
| Ilyushin Il-18D |
1 |
0 |
120 (0/120) |
To be retired: 2010 |
| Ilyushin Il-62M |
4 |
0 |
180 (16/164) |
Two operated in VIP
configuration for the state |
| Mil Mi-172 |
17 |
0 |
32 (0/32) |
|
| Tupolev Tu-134B-3 |
2 |
0 |
84 (0/84) |
|
| Tupolev Tu-154 |
4 |
0 |
152 (16/136) |
Three Tu-154B's and One
Tu-154B-2 |
| Tupolev Tu-204-300 |
1 |
0 |
166 (16/150) |
P-632 |
| Tupolev Tu-204-100B |
1 |
1 |
210 (0/210) |
P-633 |
| Total |
37 |
1 |
|
Air Koryo Cargo Fleet
| Aircraft |
In Fleet |
Capacity
(Max.Weight) |
Notes |
| Ilyushin Il-18V |
1 |
34.5 Tons cargo |
|
| Ilyushin IL-76TD |
3 |
44 Tons cargo |
|
| Mil Mi-17 |
17 |
|
Unknown numbers operating
solely for cargo operations |
| Total |
4 |
|
- Notes
- Air Koryo only offers
Business class seating on these specific aircraft
types
Modernization
Air Koryo is searching for new
aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-era
planes. The new planes would be Russian-made, given the
existence of sanctions from the US and the EU. Air Koryo
is considering the Ilyushin Il-96 (now not available in
passenger version), Tupolev Tu-204 (which have already
been ordered) and Sukhoi Superjet 100s to replace their
Tupolev Tu-154 and Tu-134 aircraft. The Tupolev Tu-204s
are capable of flying to Moscow non-stop. Air Koryo have
also installed LCD screens in their Tu-204's which now
show safety demonstrations and movies. Air Koryo has
purchased new airport low floor buses. In the recent
Airliner world magazine Air Koryo will be trying to gain
EU certification to fly into EU airspace. This would
give Air Koryo the chance to resume scheduled flights to
Berlin in the future, which rights to enter the EU
airspace were granted by the EU authorities in April
2010, after a 7 year period of being banned from EU
airspace.
Tupolev
Tu-204
The first Tupolev Tu-204-300 for
Air Koryo was officially handed over to the carrier on
27 December 2007, and was ferried from Ulyanovsk to
Pyongyang. It has been fitted out with 8 business class
seats and the remaining 145 seats are economy. This is
the first Tupolev Tu-204-300 to be exported out of
Russia, and Air Koryo has a firm order for another one.
The Tu-204-300, is now operating
on the Pyongyang-Beijing, Pyongyang-Singapore
(seasonal), Pyongyang-Shenyang and Pyongyang-Bangkok
routes (which was resumed by the newly delivered Tupolev
jet in 2007). Its first revenue earning flight was made
on 8 May 2008. The range of the Tu-204-300 means Air
Koryo can start flights to Tehran which is in planning.
Air Koryo has another version of the Tu-204 jet being
the Tu-204-100 which is a longer version of their
Tu-204-300. According to Avistar, Air Koryo will be
taking delivery of a second Tupolev TU-204-100B of which
is being constructed at Ulyanovsk, the aircraft is
currently registered RA-64013.
On 4 March 2010, Air Koryo took
delivery of the second Tu-204. It started operating
scheduled services the following day.
On 30 March 2010, the EU approved
two of Air Koryo's aircraft to operate into the European
Union. The two Tupolev Tu-204's have been given the
rights to operate into the European Union. The planned
services to Germany could be resumed again with any of
the two aircraft.
Gallery
Accidents
and incidents
On 1 July 1983, a CAAK (predecessor
to Air Koryo) Ilyushin 62M on a non-scheduled
international passenger flight from Pyongyang, North
Korea (Sunan International Airport) to Conakry, Guinea
(Conakry International Airport) crashed at the Fouta
Djall Mountains in Guinea. All 23 persons onboard were
killed and the aircraft was written off.
On 15 August 2006, an aircraft
from Air Koryo (Tupolev 154B-2) on an international
scheduled passenger flight from Beijing, People's
Republic of China (Beijing Capital Airport) to
Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sunan
International Airport) experienced a runway mishap
(exited runway) during landing rollout after landing in
bad weather at Sunan International Airport. No injuries
were reported and damage to the plane was minor.On the
same day, an Air Koryo Il-62M flying from the Chinese
capital Beijing on a regular passenger flight sustained
damage to a wing whilst landing at Pyongyang. Following
a missed first approach, the crew made a second landing
attempt during which part of the left wing of the
Ilyushin contacted the runway. There were no injuries
and the registration of the aircraft was not reported.
