Air Koryo: North Korea's flag carrier is the worst airline in the world

The lowest of the low-cost
If you want to travel to Korea, this is the only airline you can take
The best and worst way to travel to North Korea
From Pyongyang to (some of the) world
Flight not found
Gateaway to the hermit kingdom
The good old Cold War days
The post-Soviet decline
The fine line between a classic and junk
Ilyushin 62 P-885
Banned in Europe
Necessary update
The worst airline in the world
Red star politics, one-star services
Some mysteries are better left unsolved
Movies playing nowhere near you
Poor and inconsistent
Cold comfort
Technically, a way to fly
The lowest of the low-cost

Tired of high prices, long lines, edible food and comfortable travel? Looking to visit Pyongyang for the summer? Well, you're in luck, because Air Koryo could be just right for you!

If you want to travel to Korea, this is the only airline you can take

Air Koryo is the best airline in North Korea...and also the ONLY airline in the country. However, many visitors to the country claim it is the worst airline experience they have ever had.

 

The best and worst way to travel to North Korea

According to Skytrax ratings, this state-owned company has been dubbed the lowest-rated airline currently in service. Let’s find out why.

From Pyongyang to (some of the) world

Based in Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport, Air Koryo currently own 21 airplanes that fly to six scheduled destinations including Beijing, Macau, and Vladivostok.

Flight not found

Of course, you wouldn’t tell that from looking at their official website. Which currently features no flights whatsoever.

Image: Air Koryo

Gateaway to the hermit kingdom

Still, Air Koryo remains the main way to travel to North Korea.

The good old Cold War days

This is no surprise as the air carrier was founded in the 1950s and saw its height during the Cold War, having flights to some of the most important cities of the People’s Republic of China and the Eastern bloc.

The post-Soviet decline

The fall of the Soviet Union brought dire consequences for North Korea, including its flagship aircraft company, which has never fully recovered.

The fine line between a classic and junk

Air Koryo’s fleet mainly comprises former Soviet aircraft that are no longer allowed to fly within the European Union airspace.

Ilyushin 62 P-885

Some of Air Koryo's planes include an Ilyushin 62 P-885 designed in the 1960s, according to a Business Insider piece from 2011.

Banned in Europe

In fact, Air Koryo is so unsafe that it was added to the list of air carriers banned in the EU in March 2006, after the airline failed to address safety deficiencies that came up during ramp inspections.

Necessary update

Ultimately, the company was forced to acquire two Russian Tupolev Tu-204-300 to continue operating flights to Europe.

The worst airline in the world

A 2016 piece in the Los Angeles Times goes into depth about why some have dubbed Air Koryo the worst airline in the world.

Red star politics, one-star services

The LA newspaper cites reviews compiled by the website Skytrax, which has provided Air Koryo a one-star ranking several times throughout the years. This made the North Korean air carrier the lowest rated on the website.

Some mysteries are better left unsolved

Passengers cited a few peculiarities, such as the food consisting of lukewarm hamburgers with a “mystery meat”.

Movies playing nowhere near you

In-flight entertainment has been described as mostly consisting of patriotic songs and propaganda movies playing in a loop.

Poor and inconsistent

Skytrax has described Air Koryo as “a poor quality of product delivered across the assessment sectors, combining with low and/or inconsistent standards of front-line staff service.”

Cold comfort

The one redeeming feature of North Korea’s air carrier is the staff, which has been described as courteous but distant.

Technically, a way to fly

Good or bad, one can’t deny a thing. Traveling on Air Koryo will definitely be an experience to remember.

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