While the last year and a half has seen a dramatic drop in the number of international air links available at Russian airports, August 2023 will witness an unexpected comeback. 

According to CNN, North Korea’s national airline, Air Koryo, is reestablishing nonstop flights between Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ) and Vladivostok (VVO), on Russia’s Primorsky Krai. 

The new airlink will reportedly operate twice in each direction on August 23 and 28, 2023.  

However, it is not known if this frequency of service will continue to be offered regularly. 

Direct flights between the North Korean capital and Vladivostok were operated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but were discontinued in 2020 when North Korea went into total isolation, cutting off its already limited contact with the outside world. 

It is also unclear which aircraft will be operating the 680-kilometer (423 miles) route.  

Air Koryo operates a mix of legacy Soviet-made airliners, including the Tupolev Tu-134, the Tu-154 and Tu-204, and Ilyushin Il-18D, Il-62M and Antonov An-148 aircraft.