Nordwind Adds Moscow to Pyongyang Flights This Fall
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Nordwind Airlines will launch twice-weekly Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) – Pyongyang (FNJ) service from September 19, 2025. Flights start on Boeing 777-200ER (C7/Y358), switch to Airbus A330-300 (C7/Y358) from Oct 31, then to A330-200 (C7/Y315) from Nov 2. Nordwind says sales “will open soon” on its website.
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Flight numbers/operating days change with the equipment swap: N4 6107/6108 on Fri/Sun (through Oct 26), then N4 6101/6102 on Thu/Sun (Oct 31–Nov 1), and N4 6101/6102 on Fri/Sun from Nov 2 onward.
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New weekly “charter” links from Pyongyang to Russia begin Sept 20: FNJ–Khabarovsk (KHV) on Saturdays and FNJ–Irkutsk (IKT) on Sundays, both using the A330-300. These segments are designated as charters, so retail availability may be restricted.
Why this matters
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It’s the first scheduled Russian carrier routing to Pyongyang in years, and it comes amid a broader Russia–North Korea rapprochement that has already produced periodic government 777 flights and expanded cooperation.
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Air Koryo has been slowly rebuilding its international network (to Beijing, Vladivostok, etc.) since North Korea emerged from pandemic isolation, but regular capacity remains limited. Nordwind adds seats and Russian connectivity that weren’t available during the border closure.
Timetable & aircraft (at a glance)
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SVO–FNJ (twice weekly)
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Sep 19–Oct 26, 2025: Fri/Sun | B777-200ER (C7/Y358) | N4 6107/6108
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Oct 31–Nov 1, 2025: Thu/Sun | A330-300 (C7/Y358) | N4 6101/6102
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From Nov 2, 2025: Fri/Sun | A330-200 (C7/Y315) | N4 6101/6102
(Nordwind says tickets will appear on its site; check for visa/permit requirements before purchase.)
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FNJ–KHV (Sat) & FNJ–IKT (Sun)
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Start Sep 20–21, 2025 | A330-300 | charter designator (distribution may be limited).
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Booking, access & who can travel
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Sales channel: Nordwind indicates its website will open sales “soon.” Russian-market agencies may also list inventory once filed.
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Visas & entry: DPRK requires pre-arranged visas and approved itineraries (typically via licensed tour operators). Independent entry is generally not possible.
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U.S. citizens: The U.S. ban on using U.S. passports to travel to North Korea remains in effect (renewed annually since 2017; still active at the time of writing). Travel is illegal without special State Department validation.
Market context
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North Korea kept borders closed for nearly four years during the pandemic and has only gradually restored limited commercial flights since 2023/2024 (principally with Air Koryo and selective Chinese carriers). Capacity remains thin, so any new lift is notable—especially from Russia, where diplomatic and economic ties are deepening.
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Nordwind (part of the Pegas Touristik ecosystem) is primarily a leisure/charter carrier with a long-haul Airbus/Boeing wide-body mix—making it a logical candidate to operate ad-hoc and scheduled “long-thin” missions like SVO–FNJ and FNJ–Far East Russia.
What to watch next
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Distribution: Whether the FNJ–KHV/IKT charters are sellable to the public or restricted to group/tour traffic.
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Schedule durability: The equipment cascade (777→A333→A332) suggests fleet flexibility; watch filing updates in late October/early November for timing tweaks.
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Policy shifts: Any changes in DPRK entry rules (for transit or tourism) or additional Russian routes—e.g., future links to Vladivostok or other Far East gateways—would further shape the market.
