China’s national flag carrier is set to run direct passenger flights to North Korea for the first time in six years later this month, the latest sign of warming ties between the two neighbours.

The official app of Air China, one of the country’s largest state-owned airlines, shows bookings have opened for direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang starting on March 30.

The service appears to be weekly for now, with bookings available only on Mondays.

Based on current listings, initial economy class fares for the Beijing-Pyongyang leg start at 2,630 yuan (US$381), while the return flight is priced slightly lower at 2,120 yuan. The journey takes nearly two hours each way.

Both legs of the route are listed as being operated with a Boeing 737 aircraft.

It will be the first Beijing-Pyongyang route Air China has operated since January 2020, when the service was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.