Latest news with #airservice
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First direct commercial flight launched between Russia and North Korea
Russia has inaugurated a new regular air service between Moscow and Pyongyang, a development underscoring the deepening relationship between the two nations. The inaugural flight, operated by Russian carrier Nordwind, departed Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday with more than 400 passengers aboard. Russia's Transport Ministry confirmed plans for one monthly flight to accommodate demand. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea's new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort earlier this month to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, promised to encourage Russian tourists to visit the complex. The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, is at the center of Kim's push to boost tourism to improve his country's troubled economy. North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn't said if it would fully resume international tourism. Regular flights between Russia's eastern port city of Vladivostok and Pyongyang reopened in 2023 following a break caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Russia and North Korea have sharply expanded military and other ties in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying weapons and troops to back Russia's military action in Ukraine.
The Independent
27-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
First direct commercial flight launched between Russia and North Korea
Russia has inaugurated a new regular air service between Moscow and Pyongyang, a development underscoring the deepening relationship between the two nations. The inaugural flight, operated by Russian carrier Nordwind, departed Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday with more than 400 passengers aboard. Russia's Transport Ministry confirmed plans for one monthly flight to accommodate demand. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea 's new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort earlier this month to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, promised to encourage Russian tourists to visit the complex. The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, is at the center of Kim's push to boost tourism to improve his country's troubled economy. North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn't said if it would fully resume international tourism. Regular flights between Russia's eastern port city of Vladivostok and Pyongyang reopened in 2023 following a break caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Russia and North Korea have sharply expanded military and other ties in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying weapons and troops to back Russia's military action in Ukraine.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airport director praises efforts to get PBG designated POE
PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh International Airport Director Chris Kreig hopes the recent efforts by state leaders to get the airport designated a port of entry are successful. PBG is one of two airports in the United States in close proximity to a land or border crossing — Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas being the second — that are currently deemed user-fee Primary Commercial Service airports, and are not international or landing rights airports, that have yet to be designated already as a port of entry. The airport would save $800,000 a year if it gets the port of entry designation. 'While it (the designation) doesn't take all of that burden off of us, it does take a significant portion of it off, and it would allow us to repurpose that money,' Kreig said. 'Ideally, if it was up to me, we would just repurpose that into an increased push for air service development … my desire would be to see an international flight out of here.' He said an international flight was the original goal of getting into the user-fee program, which they accomplished in 2019 after starting the process in 2012. Technically, Kreig said, the airport does have international flights in and out on a daily basis at its customs facility. On average, the facility clears about 300 flights annually. 'What I would like to see is a plane pull up to the gate that's coming from somewhere outside the U.S. That will make it all worth it.' NY-21 Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville), U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer and even Texas state officials have been working over the past few years to get the two airports the port of entry designation. Most recently, Stefanik reintroduced the bipartisan Border Airport Fairness Act and also wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requesting the designation be made. 'It's been a multi-pronged effort, if you will, because it's not just us, it's the airport in Texas that has been advocating, also. They've been advocating just as heavily for this,' Kreig said. 'So I'm happy to see that this is coming around again, and we, the county, certainly appreciate the efforts of our congressional leaders, Congresswoman Stefanik and Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and our state local elected officials for their support, because they've weighed in at various times in support of it. So we do appreciate all that.'
