Worst Airline: Air Koryo in North Korea

From refreshments to the age of the planes Considering all kinds of things, the Air Koryo company seems to have earned people’s hatred rather than their admiration at the time. According to the evaluations, they are by far the first in the list of the worst airline companies in the world.

Korean War that started in 1950 North Korea, which has not communicated with its southern neighbor for years, is also at the top of the list in terms of being the most closed country in the world. I guess North Korea generally has an obsession with not losing the first place in the charts…

Let’s talk about the famous Air Koryo. What do you think could make it so bad?

It may sound strange, but airline fleets are generally old. It consists of Soviet-made aircraft. These include models such as Ilyushin, Tupolev and Antonov. In addition to the old-style planes, Air Koryo draws attention with its articles and newspapers, often decorated with pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and propaganda content. We wouldn’t be wrong if we say that the interior of the plane is a propaganda nest.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to obtain accurate information about the country’s living conditions, official data and citizens. Trying to increase the number of tourists North Korea aims to host 2 million tourists by 2020, increasing the number of visitors by 20 times He had aimed. This plan does not seem to work very well, because there is a high probability that tourists who want to take photos on the street will be stopped by security forces. Moreover, considering that Kim Jong Un’s portraits are seen in every corner of the country, it is not amiss that he is not in the airline company.

The country’s airline company, Air Koryo, was founded in 1955 and still uses old planes gifted by the Soviet Union.

These planes, just the sight of which makes you feel the tiredness of the years, have been around since the Soviet times, just think about it. When we see the inside of the plane, we are transported directly to those periods as if we were in a time machine. Rating airline companies In Skytrax’s review With only 1 point out of 10, Air Koryo stands out as the worst airline in the world.

Let’s get to the details that make the company bad… One of the distinguishing features of this company is the newspaper called Pyongyang Times, which is given to all passengers before the flight. This newspaper is used as a propaganda tool by the government and constantly includes praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Let’s imagine that you are a passenger on a plane. You wanted to watch something and you tried to choose a movie.

At this moment, you come across Don’t be surprised if there’s a concert by Kim Jong Un’s favorite band, because Air Koryo’s only concern during its flight is to make propaganda for the country. It is also not recommended to try to listen if you do not have headphones, because there is no volume adjustment option.

Normally tour companies do not offer tour packages that offer boarding. However This is possible in North Korea. London-based tour company Juche Travel Services is organizing a “plane tour” in North Korea. Two Russian-made planes were purchased for Air Koryo for international flights from Beijing, the capital of China, and tours can be organized with these planes, you pay a total of 137 dollars for a round-trip ticket.

When you land in Pyongyang, you will be greeted by the Mil Mi-17 type helicopter used in the Soviet period.

The crowds and long queues you experience at the airport, to north korea It ends immediately when you step into it. Because daily international flights are organized from the airport at most five times. In this country, where life is lived quite “punctually”, the probability of your flight being delayed is low.

One of the points that passengers criticize the most – perhaps the most – is the actions taken during the flight. are political propaganda contents. In addition, limited entertainment options and general comfort levels are also important issues for which Air Koryo has been criticized.

Judging by the comments, passengers state that they are forced to travel on old Soviet-made aircraft that do not comply with modern airline standards. Criticisms about food quality Especially the Business Class meals did not meet expectations.

However, considering that travelers to North Korea generally have limited alternatives, using Air Koryo becomes inevitable at this point. In this case, it shows that passengers should choose to travel to the country by considering some disadvantages. If you happen to be in North Korea, even if it is difficult, This bad flight experience with Air Koryo We recommend you to experience it.