Think of any Korean airline. We have Korean Air and Asiana, but we also have some low-cost carriers such as Air Premia, Jin Air, Air Seoul, and so much more. However, these carriers are all from South Korea. On the North side of Korea, there is one airline that serves the current country of North Korea, it being Air Koryo (고려항공 in Korean). Today, we will be looking in-depth into what this airline is.

The Only Airline in the North

Air Koryo is the flag carrier of North Korea, the country that Kim Jung Eun dictates. It has an all-Soviet or Russian fleet of 6 aircraft, including two Ilyushin Il-62s used by the Kim family. 

It currently only operates international flights to neighboring and supporting countries, such as China and Russia, as chartered flights, as there is not enough demand for a scheduled basis.

The fleet of six aircraft consists of two Tupolev Tu-204s, two Antonov An-148s, and the two Ilyushin Il-62Ms above, operated by the Kim family. The Il-62Ms are special in being called Air Force One or Two (depending on whether Kim Jung Eun is on board).

The Air Koryo fleet used to be much more diverse, ranging from the ancient Antonov An-24 to the large Ilyushin Il-76. These aircraft are considered stored, as they have not been officially and unofficially flown for a long time. Their fate is unknown for obvious reasons.

Due to North Korea facing worldwide sanctions from the U.S. and EU, it is not allowed to operate any Western aircraft, such as those from Boeing and Airbus. 

It is said that Kim Jung Ill, the father of Kim Jung Eun, tried acquiring new Western aircraft but failed to do so. Instead, they rely on Soviet and newer Russian aircraft. However, even those aircraft seem hard for them to acquire as they have to smuggle them into the country secretly. 

In 2021, two Tu-204s were grounded at an unspecified airport due to concerns that they were to be acquired and used by Air Koryo in the following weeks. These Tu-204s were eventually transferred to Sky KG, a Kyrgyzstan airline.

Unfortunately, Air Koryo does not have a frequent flyer program for those who frequently travel in and out of North Korea. 

Interestingly, however, the Air Koryo lounge at Pyongyang International Airport (FNJ) is surprisingly a Star Alliance partner lounge, so Star Alliance Gold members or business class passengers on board Star Alliance flights, as well as Business Class passengers flying Air Koryo, can enter the lounge. 

This mostly seems to be because Air China used to fly to Pyongyang on a scheduled basis before the COVID-19 pandemic.