Direct flights launched between Moscow and Pyongyang

The first direct flight from Moscow to Pyongyang has landed in the North Korean capital today at 9:30 a.m. local time (12:30 a.m. GMT).

The flight was performed by a Boeing 777-200ER of Nordwind Airlines seating 440 passengers. It left Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow at 7:30 pm on Sunday (4:30 GMT). The flight took about eight hours.

The Russian delegation, led by Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology and co-chair of the Russian-North Korean Cooperation Commission Alexander Kozlov, and crew members were greeted with flowers.

The return flight is scheduled for July 29.

In July, Rosaviatsiya issued an authorization to Nordwind for scheduled flights between the capitals of the two countries.