Air China (CA, Beijing Capital) restarted its scheduled flights between Beijing Capital and Pyongyang on March 30, 2026, after more than six years, but reportedly already stopped accepting bookings for future flights due to low demand, Reuters has reported.

The first, and so far only, flight since the resumption was operated by B737-700 B-5297 (msn 41092), ADS-B data shows.

Flights between China and North Korea were suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and did not restart until 2023. However, until now, only Air Koryo plied the route.

China accounted for around 90% of inbound tourism to North Korea before the pandemic, and the two countries remain close allies. China was also the traditional gateway for entry into North Korea by citizens of other countries. However, during the slow reopening, Pyongyang developed closer relations with Russia, and currently most of the very limited tourism in the country targets group travellers from that country. With the prevailing restrictions for Chinese and other international tourists, demand for flights from Beijing reportedly remains very low.

Direct trains between Beijing and Pyongyang restarted in mid-March.