Air Koryo

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Air Koryo
IATA
JS		 ICAO
KOR		 Callsign
AIR KORYO
Founded 1954
Hubs Sunan International Airport
Fleet size 39 (+1 order)
Destinations 15 (+1 planned)
Headquarters Pyongyang, DPRK
Key people Kang Ki Sop (Director General of the General Civil Aviation Administration of the DPRK)
Air Koryo
Chosŏn'gŭl 고려항공
Hancha 高麗航空
McCune-Reischauer Koryŏ Hanggong
Revised Romanization Goryeo Hanggong
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), short form Air Koryo) is the state-owned national airline of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, based in Pyongyang. It operates international services and charter flights to points in Asia, Africa and Europe. It is based at Sunan International Airport[1] 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, Berlin, Moscow, as well as a sales agencies in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

The airline is on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union.

Contents

[edit] History

The airline was established in 1954 and started operations on 21 September 1955. It was formerly known as Chosonminhang Korean Airways (CAAK) and was formed to succeed SOKAO, the joint Soviet-North Korean airline established in 1950[1]. 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, the flight even went to Sofia and Belgrade as well.

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. 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 serves the following International scheduled destinations [2]

[edit] Charters

From an Air Koryo 1999-2000 timetable, relatively common destinations for charter flights include Shenzhen (JS137/138) and Macau (JS187/188)[6]; however, occasional ad-hoc charter flights, mostly on diplomatic or freight duties, have served Moscow (JS215/216)[7], Sofia (JS217/218), Zurich[8], Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam, New York City [9], 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.

[edit] Domestic services

As North Korea's sole aviation entity, Air Koryo is responsible for the transportation of government officials. Chronic fuel shortages keep the domestic services grounded. Air Koryo offers domestic charter services, flying foreign tourists from Pyongyang to Samjiyon for tours to Baekdu-san.

[edit] Terminated destinations

Terminated due to the fall of Communism:

[edit] Fleet

Air Koryo Fleet[10]
Aircraft Total Passengers
(Business/Economy)		 Routes Notes
Antonov An-24RV 7 50 Domestic and regional routes P-534, P-532, P-533, P-527[11]
Ilyushin Il-18D 2 100 Regional and medium-haul routes
China and Russia		 P-836, P-835 (P836 is a cargo aircraft)
Ilyushin Il-62M 4 16/144 long-haul routes
China, Thailand and government charters		 P-881, P-885, P-618, P-882
Ilyushin IL-76MD 3 44 Tons cargo cargo flights to China and Russia P-914, P-912, P-913
Mil Mi-17 15 [12] 32 Domestic and regional routes P-108 unknown numbers of helicopters in Air Koryo livery (government owned)
Tupolev Tu-154B[13] 4 16/120 China,Russia,Japan and South Korea P-561, P-552 , P-553 , P-551
Tupolev Tu-134B-3 3 84 China, Russia and government charters P-814, P-813, P-812
Tupolev Tu-204 1 + 1 order 8/145 Beijing (To be placed in to service in May on medium/long-haul routes) P-632 + P63? on order

[edit] Modernization

An Air Koryo Tupolev Tu-204-300 at Sunan airport shortly after delivery
An Air Koryo Tupolev Tu-204-300 at Sunan airport shortly after delivery

Air Koryo is looking for new aircraft to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-era planes. The new planes would also be Russian-made, as sanctions from the US and its allies would not allow the country to purchase US or European-made aircraft. Air Koryo is looking at the Ilyushin Il-96, Tupolev Tu-204 (which have already been ordered plus one is in being put into service this month)[citation needed], and Sukhoi Superjet 100s to replace the Tupolev Tu-154 and Tu-134 fleets aircraft which have also been recently sold to Cuba, Iran, Syria and Zimbabwe.[citation needed] Tupolev Tu-204s which are capable of flying to Moscow non-stop.[14] Air Koryo has also been interested in starting a service to Tehran due to high demand as well as a flight to Yanji.[15]

[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. This is the first Tupolev Tu-204-300 to be exported out of Russia. Air Koryo has a firm order for another one. It has been fitted out with 8 business class seats and the remaining 145 seats are economy.[16]

The first Tu-204-300, P-632 is now on Beijing-Pyongyang route. 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 hence the need for the Tu-204-300's range.

[edit] Incidents

[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 2000-210).
  • 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[20] the Commission assessed that Air Koryo does not meet the relevant safety standards.[21]

[edit] Gallery

An Air Koryo Ilyushin Il-62M at Beijing Capital International Airport

An Air Koryo Tupolev Tu-154 at Samjeyon airport ready to depart for Pyongyang

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:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International, 2007-03-27, p. 59. 
  2. ^ Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Switzerland
  3. ^ http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/3290981/(Thursday with IL8 equipment cargo flights)
  4. ^ http://www.farecompare.com/flights/Air_Koryo-JS/Pyongyang-FNJ/Shenyang-SHE/schedule.html
  5. ^ http://www.farecompare.com/flights/Air_Koryo-JS/Vladivostok-VVO/Pyongyang-FNJ/schedule.html
  6. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/aerokimchi/kt/p21.jpg
  7. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/aerokimchi/kt/p22.jpg
  8. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/aerokimchi/kt/p23.jpg
  9. ^ Customer reviews on Air Koryo
  10. ^ Airline recognition guide by Gunter Endres and Graham Edwards.P 65 Air Koryo
  11. ^ http://www.pbase.com/aviationimagesrf/image/93445282
  12. ^ http://www.kerala.com/wiki-North_Korean_Air_Force
  13. ^ http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=413193
  14. ^ http://www.aircraftspotting.net/news/september_06.html#airkoryo
  15. ^ Customer reviews on Air Koryo
  16. ^ http://www.dprkstudies.org/2008/02/23/air-koryo-prepares-russian-tu-204-300-airliner-for-service/
  17. ^ Aviation Safety Database report
  18. ^ FCO Country report - August 15, 2006 Tu 154 crash
  19. ^ Aviation Safety Database report - August 15, 2006 Tupolev 154 crash
  20. ^ Fly Well portal (Which contains links to the common air transport policy)(English), European Commission, March 22, 2006
  21. ^ Commission Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 of 22 March 2006 (PDF-file)(English), European Commission, March 22, 2006