Air Koryo

AirlinesNo. 1 in North Korea

North Korea

Founded

1950

Headquarters

Pyongyang, North Korea

Ticker

n/a

Sector

Airlines

Stock performance

This company has no listed ticker in our data, so there is no price chart.

History

Air Koryo traces its origins to SOKAO, a joint Soviet-North Korean airline set up in 1950. It later became the state airline under various names and took the name Air Koryo in the 1990s. Its fleet has long been dominated by Soviet- and Russian-built aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-62, Tupolev Tu-204, and Antonov An-148.

Business model

Air Koryo operates a small number of scheduled international flights from Pyongyang's Sunan airport, mainly to Beijing, Shenyang, and Vladivostok, along with domestic and charter flights. It also runs side businesses in Pyongyang, including taxis and consumer products.

Market position

Air Koryo is North Korea's only airline, and its international network has been among the smallest of any national carrier, with flights suspended entirely for long periods during the COVID-19 border closures.

Country impact

Air Koryo is one of the few direct air links between North Korea and the outside world, used by officials, traders, and the small number of foreign tourists, and its limited fleet reflects how sanctions constrain access to modern aircraft and parts.