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jjfirdaus

Air Koryo to KUL? North Korea opens new air route with Malaysia

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Dear All MWingers

 

Just came back from MATTA Fair and found out that Air Koryo will commence regular flight to KUL from FNJ starting from April 11,2011 every Tuesday and Thursday.

 

Any news regarding this new service. Checked with WIKI but doesn't find any news.

 

cheers

-JJFirdaus-

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WOW!!! If this is true, KLIA is really attracting exotic airlines. Tu-154m anyone? or IL-62M? but I do know they most probably will fly Tu-204....thanks jjjfirdaus for the info! :rolleyes:

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Finally we can spot Soviet made aircraft here in KUL!

 

 

Would've been better if they came before 2009, when KUL spotting was still fun.

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Managed to get a reply from JS FB page.Here's the reply,and i'll post the important part of the reply:

 

Listen all, these flights are not set in concrete. Recently I have been told that Singapore services may run via KUL depending on future agreentment between Malaysian authorities and that of the DPRK.

 

 

The aircraft on this route will be Tupolev Tu-204-300 aircraft, if it does happen to be operated, currently SIN services are operating this year. BKK services run as normal one weekly with Tupolev Tu-204-100B and Tupolev Tu-204-300 depending on demand on flights connecting into Tel Aviv and workers in Thailand.

 

Flights to KUL will only operate 1 weekly, since they will be routing ex- SIN or onto SIN from FNJ.

 

From here:

 

* The flight are depend on the the future agreement between the Malaysian and North Korean authorities.

* Aircraft used for the flight would be Tu-204-300,and;

* It would be either FNJ-BKK-KUL or FNJ-SIN-KUL.

 

They're are hoping to find out more soon as well.

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The aircraft on this route will be Tupolev Tu-204-300 aircraft, if it does happen to be operated, currently SIN services are operating this year. BKK services run as normal one weekly with Tupolev Tu-204-100B and Tupolev Tu-204-300 depending on demand on flights connecting into Tel Aviv and workers in Thailand.

 

Interesting to note the workers in Thailand part. Are there a lot of Thais working in Pyongyang, or North Korean working in Thai?

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Interesting to note the workers in Thailand part. Are there a lot of Thais working in Pyongyang, or North Korean working in Thai?

 

My guess is North Koreans in Thailand.

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Air Koryo previously operated a weekly flight using IL-62 from Pyongyang to Bangkok. At that time, one can only expect the flight to arrive in Bangkok (if memory serves me correctly, it was on a Friday), but in reality, it is like betting on the lottery. It often does not appear.

 

In 2003, when I was going from Bangkok to Pyongyang with a tourism study delegation, Air Koryo's representative in Bangkok does not want to book us from Bangkok to Pyongyang and instead only agreed to book us out of Beijing. This in spite of the fact that the Bangkok - Pyongyang return fare would have given the airline more revenue than one out of Beijing. After further discussion, I realised that the Bangkok flight was operated only IF a batch of North Korean workers destined for Tel Avia (using El Al's services from Bangkok) received their Israeli work permits. And when such permits are not received in good time, the Air Koryo flight is cancelled.

 

The workers on Air Koryo's flights are therefore destined for Tel Avia and not Thailand. The latter has its own arrangements to supply construction workers to Isreal. Air Koryo's representative further mentioned that North Koreans made better farm workers and picked every single fruit that is ripe (I assume perhaps because of their constant food shortage, they hate to see food being wasted). He further mentioned that this was not the case with Thai workers but they do end up being better suited for the construction industry.

 

If Air Koryo flies between KUL and SIN, my sincere hope is that we can book to fly on them between these two cities!!! Now this would be one highly anticipated flying experience ... on a TU-204!

 

KC Sim

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Air Koryo previously operated a weekly flight using IL-62 from Pyongyang to Bangkok. At that time, one can only expect the flight to arrive in Bangkok (if memory serves me correctly, it was on a Friday), but in reality, it is like betting on the lottery. It often does not appear.

 

In 2003, when I was going from Bangkok to Pyongyang with a tourism study delegation, Air Koryo's representative in Bangkok does not want to book us from Bangkok to Pyongyang and instead only agreed to book us out of Beijing. This in spite of the fact that the Bangkok - Pyongyang return fare would have given the airline more revenue than one out of Beijing. After further discussion, I realised that the Bangkok flight was operated only IF a batch of North Korean workers destined for Tel Avia (using El Al's services from Bangkok) received their Israeli work permits. And when such permits are not received in good time, the Air Koryo flight is cancelled.

 

The workers on Air Koryo's flights are therefore destined for Tel Avia and not Thailand. The latter has its own arrangements to supply construction workers to Isreal. Air Koryo's representative further mentioned that North Koreans made better farm workers and picked every single fruit that is ripe (I assume perhaps because of their constant food shortage, they hate to see food being wasted). He further mentioned that this was not the case with Thai workers but they do end up being better suited for the construction industry.

 

If Air Koryo flies between KUL and SIN, my sincere hope is that we can book to fly on them between these two cities!!! Now this would be one highly anticipated flying experience ... on a TU-204!

 

KC Sim

 

Wow,now that's the reason why they've mentioned " depend on flights connecting to Tel Aviv and workers in Thailand".

 

Thanks for the interesting info you've have here,KC.Hopefully they will send the new Tu-204,or their classic Soviet birds.

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Latest info from JS FB page on FNJ-KUL flight:

 

So far we are know services will operate either:

 

FNJ-KUL-FNJ or FNJ-KUL-SIN-FNJ either which way by TU-204 aircraft.

 

Latest is that the services will be operated onto SIN or via SIN depending on slots.

 

Flights will likely operate 1 weekly. Although there is possiblity of a 2 weekly service if the flight goes via or onto SIN.

 

And other reply by them:

 

We have just been informed that flights are listing as 2 weekly as follows:

 

Departing Pyongyang Sunan at 1530hrs (Monday-1) + (Thursday- 4)

 

Arriving Kuala Lumpur at 20:30hrs (Monday-1) + (Thursday- 4)

 

Departing Kuala Lumpur at 00:30hrs (Tuesday-2) + (Friday- 5)

 

Arriving Pyongyang Sunan at 0730hrs (Tuesday-2) +(Friday- 5)

 

Currently we are looking at direct non-stop services, this will make Kuala Lumpur the third destination in South-East Asia served by Air Koryo.

 

Looks likely JS are trying hard on materializing this route;should it became a reality, KUL will became the 3rd SE Asia destination (after SIN and BKK) operated by JS.

Edited by Tamizi Hj Tamby

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On KLIA FIDS page

 

JS 0159 11/04/2011 0:10:50:00 PM 11/04/2011 0:10:50:00 PM PYONGYANG KUALA LUMPUR

JS 0160 12/04/2011 0:12:30:00 AM 12/04/2011 0:12:30:00 AM KUALA LUMPUR PYONGYANG M07

 

Looks good, but timing doesn't sound quite right though :(

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So totally CANCELED? No flight from following week which is suppose be on TODAY?

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http://aviation.bernama.com/news.php?id=580311&lang=en&cat=b

 

Air Koryo Makes Maiden Landing At KLIA

April 19, 2011 16:25 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Air Koryo, the national carrier of North Korea, has made its maiden landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

 

The airline flies twice weekly to Kuala Lumpur from the capital city of Pyongyang, on Mondays and Thursdays, utilising a TU-204 Next Generation Tupolev type aircraft, with 142 seating capacity.

 

For the inaugural flight yesterday, approximately 70 passengers from Pyongyang arrived at KLIA, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd said in a statement today.

 

The inclusion of Air Koryo takes the total number of airlines operating at KLIA to 58.

 

Air Koryo becomes the first airline to introduce direct schedule flights to Pyongyang from Kuala Lumpur.

 

Air Koryo was founded on Sept 21, 1955 with the name Chosonminhang and was renamed to Air Koryo in March 1992.

 

Its network covers Beijing and Shenyang in China, Vladivostok and Moscow in Russia, Bangkok, Thailand and now Kuala Lumpur.

 

-- BERNAMA

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