First direct Moscow-Pyongyang flight lands in N. Korea

PYONGYANG. July 28 (Interfax) - The first direct flight from Moscow to Pyongyang landed in the capital of North Korea at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. Moscow time) on Monday.

The plane left Sheremetyevo Airport at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, the flight lasted around eight hours.

The return flight from the North Korean capital to Moscow is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. local time (3:00 a.m. Moscow time) on July 29.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency granted Nordwind permission to operate flights to North Korea in early July. The company started selling tickets from Moscow to Pyongyang on July 18, with their price starting from 44,700 rubles.

Flights will take place once a month, Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, Russian co-chair of the intergovernmental commission on trade-economic and technological cooperation between Russia and North Korea, said. The launch of this flight is a historical event, Kozlov said, emphasizing the importance of connecting the two capitals.