China International Airlines has temporarily suspended its direct route from Beijing to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, in April. The route had just resumed flights at the end of last month.
According to a report from the South Korean news agency on April 3, the regular direct flight from Beijing to Pyongyang operated by China International Airlines has temporarily ceased operations in April.
Staff from China National Aviation Corporation revealed that the round-trip flights scheduled for April 6 have been cancelled, and the flight schedules for the 13th, 20th, and 27th of April are still uncertain. Although flights for May have been arranged, tickets are currently unavailable for purchase. The flights in April, which were originally unavailable for booking, have now been confirmed as suspended with no clear indication of when operations will resume.
The staff did not provide specific reasons for the cancellation of the route and did not elaborate on the resumption plans.
It is reported that the suspension may be related to the soaring international oil prices, which have pushed up fuel costs, making it difficult for China National Aviation Corporation to sustain the limited demand for the Beijing to Pyongyang route. The route was reopened for its symbolic significance but is now suspended once again.
The flight (CA121) from Beijing Capital International Airport to Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang resumed operations on March 30. This marked the reopening of the route after 6 years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the day of the resumption, there were only a little over 10 passengers on board. The route used to operate once a week with ticket prices starting at 2040 Chinese Yuan.
The Chinese state media had previously promoted this event, with Chinese embassy officials including Ambassador Wang Yajun welcoming passengers at the Pyongyang airport. Wang Yajun claimed that the resumption of this route was an important event for the aviation transportation cooperation between China and North Korea. However, the route was suspended after just one flight.
On another note, the train service between Beijing and Pyongyang, which had been suspended for 6 years, resumed its bi-directional operation from March 12. However, due to North Korean tourist visas not being available yet, Chinese tourists are still unable to purchase tickets to Pyongyang.
The relationship between China and North Korea has long been considered superficial. Despite Kim Jong Un being re-elected as the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission and Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, sending a congratulatory message to Kim on March 26, with Kim responding on the 27th, political analyst Wang He pointed out to Epoch Times that “there is no real friendship between dictators, only interests and suspicions”. While they may “collude” when facing pressure from the United States, they still maintain a high level of vigilance towards each other.