Pyongyang International Airport

Early years

The first airport in Pyongyang was located east of the Taedong River. However, after World War II there was a need for a newer airport, and Sunan Airfield was constructed.

During the Korean War, the airport was occupied by United Nations forces for seven weeks in late 1950. The forces flew large amounts of supplies to Sunan during this period. On 13 May 1953, the airport was inundated when the US Air Force bombed Toksan Dam. After an armistice was signed two months later, the North Korean Government started repairing and expanding the airport.

Development since the 2000s

In 2000, Aeroflot discontinued its flights from Moscow and later discontinued its services from Khabarovsk. China Southern Airlines offered scheduled charter flights to and from Beijing during the peak season only, and permanently pulled its flights in October 2006. In March 2008, Air China re-established service to Beijing, three days a week. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines also provided chartered flight services to Seoul and Yangyang on the east coast of South Korea from Pyongyang. These flights were used by Korean family members visiting divided family across the border. In September 2016, Air China converted its year-round flight to Beijing to summer seasonal only as the airline suspends services in winter season of 2016 and 2017.

Modernization

By early 2011, an interim facility handling international flights had been constructed just south of the existing terminal. By early 2012, demolishing of the existing terminal, which Kim Jong-un deemed too small and outdated, had begun. In July 2012, he ordered the construction of a new terminal. Besides this, a new control tower and VIP terminal north of the main terminal were also constructed. The project became part of a "speed campaign", in which thousands of workers were enlisted to quickly complete it. Most construction was carried out by hand or with simple tools.

The director of the Designing Department of the National Defense Commission, Ma Won Chun, accompanied Kim Jong-un during a 2014 state inspection of the terminal. After Kim expressed his displeasure, Ma disappeared for almost a year, leading to widely published speculations about his execution, based on South Korean intelligence reports, with his official post having been left vacant. As of 2015, Ma was still alive, reportedly having been sent to a collective farm as a form of rehabilitation and punishment.

Infrastructure

The Pyongyang airport has two passenger terminals. Terminal 1 opened in January 2016 and solely handles domestic flights. It is connected to Terminal 2, the international terminal that was inaugurated on 1 July 2015. The terminal has jet bridges and at least 12 check-in counters. Amenities include a duty-free store, coffee bar, newsstand and Internet room.

The airport has one functioning runway which is designated 01/19 and measures 4,000 by 60 metres (13,120 ft × 200 ft). Another runway, 17/35, is not in use as of 2013.

Yonhap reported in September 2016 that a maintenance facility had been constructed at the Pyongyang airport. Located about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from runway 01/19, the facility includes aircraft hangars and apartment buildings for high-ranking officials and Air Koryo employees.

Airlines and destinations

As of December 2016, state-owned airline Air Koryo provides regularly scheduled flights, and Air China provides flights on a seasonal basis.

Access

The Pyongyang airport is located approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) from the city, about a 20-minute drive. In addition, Sunan Station located on the Pyongui Line of Korean State Railway is located 800m away from the Pyongyang airport terminal building.