Fancy a flight to North Korea?

I've often thought that North Korea would be a fascinating place to visit.

The food would probably be average, and I wouldn't expect the service to be great. But what an experience.

Such a trip is now closer to being a possibility after international air links to the "Hermit Kingdom" have resumed after a gap of three years due to Covid-19, Travel Mole reports.

A flight operated by North Korean flag carrier Air Koryo touched down in Beijing from Pyongyang earlier this week.

China has "approved the regular flight plan of Air Koryo for Pyongyang-Beijing-Pyongyang flights and other passenger routes" the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Travel agency Koryo Tours said the restart of the Pyongyang-Beijing route would initially facilitate travel for North Koreans to go home.

There is no sign it will lead to a tourism resumption into North Korea just yet.

“This flight isn’t a full resumption of the route yet, it is a special flight for Koreans stuck overseas,” said Simon Cockerell, GM of Koryo Tours.

Air Koryo also has scheduled flights to Vladivostok, Russia, later this week.

A Russian-made Air Koryo Tupolev Tu-204 jet with capacity to carry 210 passengers landed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday and was filmed taking off again later the same day.