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North Korea’s state airline made its first international trip since the start of the Covid pandemic, in a sign of easing border restrictions that could repatriate its stranded nationals abroad and increase trade with its powerful neighbour. Flight data indicates than an Air Koryo passenger jet flew from Pyongyang to Beijing on Tuesday, which would be the first such commercial flight in more than three years. China’s Foreign Ministry said the country had given permission for the flight.
Air Koryo is also set to operate flights on Friday and August 28 between Vladivostok and Pyongyang, according to NK News, a specialist service on North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sealed the border at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. The move slammed the brakes on the little legal trade conducted by his heavily sanctioned state and also left stranded North Korea’s diplomats and thousands of workers sent to places such as Russia and China to earn hard currency for Kim’s regime. Air Koryo has previously been ranked among the worst airlines in the world.