Air Koryo

IATA JS ICAO KOR Callsign AIR KORYO
Founded	1954 (as Chosonminhang Korean Airways)
Hubs	Sunan International Airport
Fleet size	44~ (+1 order)
Destinations	11
Headquarters	Pyongyang, North Korea
Key people	Kang Ki Sop (Director General of the General Civil Aviation Administration of the DPRK) An Pyong Chil (director of the General Bureau of Civil Aviation )[1]

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (May 2008)

Air Koryo Korean Airways (formerly Chosŏn Minhang (조선민항 | Корё Ханггонг), short form Air Koryo) is the state-owned national flag carrier airline of North Korea, headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang.^[2] It operates international services and charter flights to points in Asia and Africa. It is based at Sunan International Airport^[3] in Sunan, a suburb north of Pyongyang.

The Head Office of Air Koryo is located in the Sunan district, Pyongyang, and it has offices in Beijing, Shenyang, Macau, Bangkok, Toronto, Berlin, Mexico City, Moscow, as well as sales agencies in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore^[4], Tokyo, Taipei, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

The airline is on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union thus they are not permitted to operated services to countries in the EU because they do not meet international safety standards. ^[5]

[edit] History

Il-76, Tu-204, Il-62, Tu-154 and Tu-134 of Air Koryo at Sunan International Airport in September 2008.

The airline was established in 1954 and started operations on 21 September 1955. It was formerly known as Civil Aviation Administration Korea (CAAK) which succeeded SOKAO, the joint Soviet-North Korean airline established in 1950^[3]. CAAK began operations with Lisunov Li-2, Antonov An-2 and Ilyushin Il-12 aircraft. Ilyushin Il-14 and Ilyushin Il-18 turboprops were added to the fleet in the 1960s.

Jet operation commenced in 1975, when the first Tupolev Tu-154 was delivered for services from Pyongyang to Prague, East Berlin and Moscow. However, because the Tu-154 did not have the sufficient range, the plane had to land not only at Irkutsk, but also at Novosibirsk. Along with the Tu-154, Tu-134s and An-24s were delivered to start domestic services. The Tu-154 fleet was increased at the start of the 1980s and the first Ilyushin Il-62 was delivered in 1982, allowing CAAK to offer a direct non-stop service to Moscow for the first time. During this period Sofia and Belgrade were also destinations.

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.^[6] Air Koryo has also started modernizing its fleet interiors. With the new Tu-204 Air Koryo would be able to fly to Europe or Moscow.

[edit] Destinations

Air Koryo Destinations
City	Airport	Notes
China
Beijing	Beijing Capital International Airport(JS 151/152)	[7] thrice weekly
Shenyang	Shenyang Taoxian International Airport(JS 155/156)	twice weekly
North Korea
Pyongyang	Sunan International Airport	Hub
Hamhung[8]	Hamhung Airport	Focus
Chongjin[8]	Chongjin Airport	Focus
Haeju[8]	Haeju Airport	Focus
Samjiyon[8]	Samjiyon Airport	Focus tourist destination
Russia
Khabarovsk	Khabarovsk Novy Airport (JS 253/254)	[9][10] once weekly
Vladivostok	Vladivostok International Airport (JS 271/272)	once weekly
Moscow	Sheremetyevo International Airport (JS 215/216)	[11] seasonal
Thailand
Bangkok	Suvarnabhumi Airport (JS 153/154)	once weekly [12][13][14]

[edit] Charters

Air Koryo IL-62M in Beijing Capital International Airport, People's Republic of China.

From an Air Koryo 1999-2000 timetable, relatively common destinations for charter flights include Shenzhen (JS137/138) and Macau (JS187/188, Flew on Mondays and Fridays); however, occasional ad-hoc charter flights, mostly on diplomatic or freight duties, have served Moscow (JS215/216, Flew on Thursdays), Sofia (JS217/218, Flew on Mondays), Zurich, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Amsterdam, New York City ^[18], Seoul (JS815/816 and 817/818), Busan, Yangyang (JS801/802) and some Japanese cities, mostly Nagoya (JS831/832) (NKM, Aichi Prefecture Nagoya Airfield).^{[citation needed]}

The first regular charter flights between North Korea and South Korea began in 2002. The first Air Koryo flight to touch down in South Korea was in August 2000, carrying a North Korean diplomatic delegation for talks with the South.

Air Koryo also operates additional flights to Shenyang and Beijing during the Chinese New Year with Tu-154's and Tu-134's. Air Koryo has also recently upgraded flights to Vladivostok and Shenyang with Il-62's and Tu-204's ^[19]

Inter-Korean charters from Hamhung Airport to Yangyang International in South Korea began in 2002. ^[20]

[edit] Domestic services

As North Korea's sole aviation entity, Air Koryo is also responsible for the transportation of government officials. Chronic fuel shortages keep the scheduled domestic services grounded. However, Air Koryo offers domestic charter services, flying foreign tourists from Pyongyang to Samjiyon for tours to Baekdu-san as well as charter flights on behalf of government to destinations such as ^[21]

• Chongjin
• Kilju
• Hamhung
• Kaesong
• Kanggye
• Sinuiju
• Wonsan.
• Hamhung
• Samjiyon
• Nampo
• Haeju

[edit] Fleet

[edit] 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, 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.^[31] Air Koryo have also installed LCD screens in their Tu-204's which now show safety demonstrations and movies. Air Koryo also have 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.

[edit] Tupolev Tu-204

The first Tupolev Tu-204-300 for Air Koryo was officially handed over to the carrier on December 27, 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.^[32] 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^[14]). Its first revenue earning flight was made on May 8, 2008. The range of the Tu-204-300 means Air Koryo can start flights to Tehran which is in planning. Rumour has spread that Air Koryo has ordered another version of the Tu-204 jet being the Tu-204-100 which is a longer version of their currently operated Tu-204-300.

[edit] Incidents

• On July 1, 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. ^[33]
• On August 15, 2006 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.^[34][35]

[edit] Banned in the European Union

Air Koryo is on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union (as of July 2006).

The rationale for the decision by the European Commission was the following (paraphrased):

• During ramp inspections in France and Germany there was obtained verified evidence of serious safety deficiencies on the part of Air Koryo. These deficiencies were also identified under the SAFA programme (DGAC/F 2000-2010).
• During other subsequent ramp inspections performed under the SAFA programme Air Koryo persistently failed to address these deficiencies which were previously communicated by France (DGAC/F-2000-895).
• Incident-related information of a substantiated and serious nature communicated by France indicated that Air Koryo had latent systemic safety deficiencies.
• There was a demonstrated lack of ability on the part of Air Koryo to address these safety deficiencies.
• There was a failure on the part of Air Koryo to respond adequately and in a timely manner to an enquiry by the civil aviation authority of France regarding the safety aspect of its operation, which showed a lack of transparency or communication, which was also demonstrated by the absence of reply to a request by France.
• The plan for corrective action presented by Air Koryo in response to France's request was not adequate and sufficient in order to correct the identified serious safety deficiencies.
• The authorities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with responsibility for regulatory oversight have not exercised an adequate oversight over Air Koryo, which it is obliged to do under the Chicago Convention.
• Therefore and on the basis of the common criteria^[36] the Commission assessed that Air Koryo does not meet the relevant safety standards.^[37]

A Tupolev Tu-154B-2 at Sunan International Airport

Air Koryo's Ilyushin Il-62M jetliner at Sunan International Airport

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Air Koryo

• Official Website of Air Koryo
• [1]
• Swiss Website of Air Koryo at the Korean Friendship Association website Switzerland Delegation
• Air Koryo at the Aviation Safety Network Database
• CAAK (predecessor) at the Aviation Safety Network Database
• Air Koryo Timetable 31/10/1999 to 26/3/2000 at angelfire.com
• Air Koryo photo gallery at www.airliners.net

[edit] References