Resumption of flights through North Korean airspace could be earner for regime

Russia’s largest private airline, S7, has reportedly begun flying through North Korean airspace again on its Vladivostok–Shanghai route, a move that breaks years of caution from international carriers.

Shown in this image obtained from Flightradar24 and published by NK News are round-trip S7 flights from Shanghai to Vladivostok on Nov. 13. [FLIGHTRADAR24, NK NEWS]

Russia’s largest private airline, S7, has reportedly begun flying through North Korean airspace again on its Vladivostok–Shanghai route, a move that breaks years of caution from international carriers and offers Pyongyang a renewed chance to collect foreign currency from overflight fees.

NK News reported Wednesday that its analysis of FlightRadar24 data shows an S7 Boeing 737 entered airspace over northeastern North Korea on Nov. 12 for the first time on that route.

The plane then crossed the country’s interior, exited over the Yellow Sea and continued to Shanghai. The return flight that day used the same corridor. The airline has consistently flown over North Korea since. Previously, the route stayed entirely within Chinese airspace.

Edward Condit, a retired commercial pilot and aviation analyst, told NK News that S7’s flights over North Korea may signal growing economic ties between the two countries and noted that North Korea collects overflight fees from airlines, which served as a major source of foreign currency before sanctions.

Records show that Russian regional carrier Yakutia Airlines paid Pyongyang $60,200 in 2015, $84,240 in 2017 and $184,190 in 2018 to use North Korean airspace. The transfers went to North Korea's Air Koryo office in Vladivostok.

Russia's Nordwind Airlines Boeing 777-200ER takes-off for the first flight connecting Moscow and Pyongyang at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow, Russia, on July 27. [AP/YONHAP]

Condit said operational factors likely also shaped the decision. Shorter flight distances, fuel savings and prevailing winds may have played a major role, he said.

UN Security Council sanctions do not ban flights over North Korea, but some experts argue that sending overflight fees to Pyongyang could violate sanction rules.

Safety concerns have kept most airlines away. North Korea test-fires ballistic and cruise missiles without notice, and the International Civil Aviation Organization has long warned of the risks, Condit said.

Western-built jets also face practical issues because emergency landings in North Korea would come with little or no access to maintenance or spare parts.

Other airlines continue to avoid North Korean skies. Rossiya Airlines, which operates the same Vladivostok–Shanghai route, still accepts longer flight times and higher costs to remain inside Chinese airspace.

North Korea opened its airspace to international civil aviation in 1994 but closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic. Overflights have increased recently, and air links with Russia have expanded more rapidly than with other countries.

In July, Russian carrier Nordwind revived its Moscow–Pyongyang service for the first time in decades after receiving $1.54 million in state subsidies. The airline also replaced its Boeing 777 on the route with an Airbus A330 in recent months.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY BAE JAE-SUNG [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]