North Korean State Airline Eyes International Expansion
Air Koryo, the national flag carrier of North Korea, is planning international route expansion amid the country's ongoing thaw in diplomatic relations.
The state-owned airline wants to launch a new charter flight from Pyongyang (FNJ) to Chengdu (CTU), one of the biggest cities in Western China, Reuters reports. According to its website, Air Koryo currently operates flights from Pyongyang (FNJ) to Beijing (PEK), Shenyang (SHE) and Vladivostok (VVO). Check out this TPG review of an economy flight on Air Koryo.
Officials told Reuters that the flights could start as soon as late June, pending approval from China's aviation regulator. Neighboring China has always been North Korea's closest ally, although international fallout over North Korea's nuclear program complicated the relationship. But following two meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the relationship looks to be on the mend.

China was previously one of the only countries that flew into North Korea (Air China's PEK to FNJ route), but that flight was canceled in November 2017 due to lack of demand.
About fourth-fifths of all North Korean tourists are from China, according to numbers from the Korea Maritime Institute.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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Cons
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- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month

