Editing Pyongyang International Airport (section)

==History==
===Early years===
During the period of [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese rule]], two airports were built in Pyongyang. [[Pyongyang Air Base]] was built by the Empire of Japan in the 1940s and remained in use until the 1950s. A second airport, [[Mirim Airport]], was also built by the forces of the empire of Japan in the 1940s, east of the [[Taedong River]]. However, after [[World War II]] there was a need for a newer airport, and Sunan Airfield was built. Mirim Airport survived as a military airfield, and Pyongyang Air Base was re-developed for government use and for housing.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

During the [[Korean War]], the airport was occupied by [[United Nations]] forces for seven weeks in late 1950, when the forces flew large amounts of supplies to Sunan. On 13 May 1953, the airport was inundated when the [[United States Air Force]] bombed [[Attack on the Sui-ho Dam|Toksan Dam]]. After an [[Korean Armistice Agreement|armistice]] was signed, two months later, the North Korean Government began repairing and expanding the airport.<ref>Corfield, Justin (2014). ''Historical Dictionary of Pyongyang''. London, UK and New York, NY: Anthem Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=5zKWBQAAQBAJ p.198].</ref>

The Soviet airline [[Aeroflot]] flew to Moscow and Khabarovsk in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/102335/198586-aeroflot-network/ | title=1985/86: AEROFLOT Network | work=Routesonline | date=2 March 2011 | accessdate=12 June 2021 | archivedate=2016-08-14 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814001836/https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/102335/198586-aeroflot-network/}}</ref> In the 1990s, [[Air Koryo]] also provided nonstop flights to [[Moscow]], which continued on to [[Berlin]] and [[Sofia]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/js/js9810/js98-10.jpg | title=Air Koryo timetable | date=1998 | accessdate=12 June 2021}}</ref>

During the 1989 13th World Festival of Youth and Students held in Pyongyang, a temporary terminal building was erected specifically to accommodate the arrival of the festival’s international attendees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chosonminhang - Korean Airways |url=https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/choson2.htm |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=www.timetableimages.com}}</ref>

===Development since the 2000s===
[[Russian Sky Airlines]] operated charter services to Pyongyang from Russian destinations in the mid-2000s on [[Ilyushin Il-62|Il-62M]] and [[Ilyushin Il-86|Il-86]] aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://russianplanes.net/id128120|title=✈ russianplanes.net ✈ наша авиация|website=russianplanes.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://russianplanes.net/id161712|title=✈ russianplanes.net ✈ наша авиация|website=russianplanes.net}}</ref><ref name="bradtguide">{{cite book|last=Willoughby|first=Robert |title=North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z4XKBAAAQBAJ|year=2014|publisher=The Globe Pequot Press Inc.|location=Guilford, CT|isbn=978-1-84162-476-1}}</ref> [[China Southern Airlines]] offered scheduled charter flights to and from Beijing during the peak season only, and permanently stopped its flights in October 2006.<ref>[http://www.chinaaviationdaily.com/news/1/1253.html "China Southern to Halt Pyongyang Flights"]. ''[[The Chosun Ilbo]] via China Aviation Daily''. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2015.</ref> In March 2008, [[Air China]] re-established service to Beijing on a [[Boeing 737]], three days a week,<ref>Rabinovitch, Simon (31 March 2008). [https://www.reuters.com/article/airchina-northkorea-idUSSP32767020080331 "Air China launches flights to North Korea"]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved 29 December 2015.</ref> and suspended due to lack of demand on 22 November 2017.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-11/23/content_34883424.htm "Pyongyang flights suspended due to lack of demand"]. ''China Daily''. Retrieved 23 November 2017.</ref> [[Air Koryo]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2003/2003%20-%202045.html?search=air%20koryo |title=air koryo &#124; 2003 &#124; 2045 &#124; Flight Archive |publisher=Flightglobal.com |access-date=2018-02-12}}</ref> [[Korean Air]] and [[Asiana Airlines]] also provided chartered flight services to [[Incheon International Airport|Seoul]] and [[Yangyang County|Yangyang]], on the east coast of [[South Korea]], from Pyongyang. These flights were used by Koreans visiting relatives across the border; these services were halted after the ending of the [[Sunshine Policy]] by South Korea in 2008.<ref name="bradtguide"/> In June 2018, Air China resumed service from [[Beijing Capital Airport]] to Pyongyang.<ref name="CA">{{cite web|url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/278972/air-china-resumes-pyongyang-service-from-june-2018/|title=Air China resumes Pyongyang service from June 2018|website=routesonline.com}}</ref>

By early 2011, an interim facility handling international flights had been built just south of the existing terminal. By early 2012, demolition of the existing terminal, which [[Kim Jong-un]] deemed too small and outdated, had begun. In July 2012, he ordered the construction of a new terminal.<ref name="straits">[http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/10-things-to-know-about-north-koreas-new-airport-terminal "10 things to know about North Korea's new airport terminal"]. ''The Straits Times''. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.</ref> Besides this, a new [[air traffic control|control tower]] and VIP terminal north of the main terminal were also built.<ref>[http://www.airport-technology.com/news/newsnorth-korea-to-open-new-terminal-at-pyongyang-sunan-international-airport-4610359 "North Korea to open new terminal at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023034836/http://www.airport-technology.com/news/newsnorth-korea-to-open-new-terminal-at-pyongyang-sunan-international-airport-4610359 |date=23 October 2018 }}. ''Airport Technology''. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.</ref> The project became part of a "speed campaign", in which thousands of workers were enlisted to complete it quickly.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/22/north-korea-soldier-builders-finish-pyonyang-new-airport "North Korea enlists thousands of workers to finish new airport"]. ''Associated Press via The Guardian''. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2015.</ref> On 15 September 2017, about 6:30am KST, [[2017 North Korean missile tests|North Korea fired a Hwasong-12 missile]] from the airport. The missile travelled 3,700 kilometers (2,300&nbsp;mi) and reached a maximum height of 770 kilometers (480&nbsp;mi).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41275614|title=North Korea 'fires missile from Pyongyang'|date=15 September 2017|work=BBC|access-date=15 September 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The airport was closed to international travel in 2020 because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-05-24 |title=Satellite images show 'unusual' level of aircraft maintenance in N. Korea |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/satellite-images-show-unusual-level-of-aircraft-maintenance-in-n-korea/articleshow/100474064.cms |access-date=2023-07-16 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> and reopened in 2023 with the resumption of [[Air Koryo]] flights to [[Beijing]] and [[Vladivostok]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Air Koryo plane lands in China, first commercial North Korean flight in 3 years |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231884/air-koryo-plane-lands-china-first-commercial-north-korean-flight-3-years |date=2023-08-22 |work=[[South China Morning Post]]}}</ref>