Pakistan bans N. Korean passenger planes
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Pakistan has decided to ban North Korean passenger airplanes as part of United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang. / Korea Times file
By Lee Jin-a
Pakistan has decided to ban North Korean passenger airplanes as part of United Nations sanctions on the country for its nuclear and missile tests.
According to the U.S.-based Voice of America (VOA), Air Koryo’s flight JS 161 stopped in Urumqi, China, last Tuesday instead of its usual layover destination of Islamabad, Pakistan, on its way to Kuwait. The returning flight ― Air Koryo JS 162 to Pyongyang ― also stopped over in Urumqi. VOA said the flight took two hours longer because of the ban.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) told VOA that the government had banned Air Koryo planes following U.N. Security Council Resolution 2270. The official said it will continue the ban as long as the resolution remains effective.
VOA said Islamabad refused entry to Air Koryo flights three times in July.
Pakistan’s decision means North Korean airplanes can only land in three countries ― China, Russia and Kuwait.