North Korea opens first international air show

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IANS | 26 Sep, 2016
North Korea on Saturday inaugurated its first international air show at a newly upgraded airport in Wonsan city.

The Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival, the first of its kind in the country, runs from Saturday till Sunday at Kalma International Airport, which was redesigned and reconstructed from a military airfield to promote tourism, Xinhua news agency reported.

Vice Minister of the Ministry of External Economic Affairs Yun Yong-sok and founder of North Korean tourism company British Juche Travel Services David Thompson addressed the opening ceremony.

The two-day air festival includes aerobatic flying shows performed by the Korean People's Army Air Force and the country's state-owned national flag carrier Air Koryo. Professional parachutists and sportsmen from Pyongyang Air Club will present a parachuting display.

Tourists have the opportunity to participate in the festival by choosing a plane for a 30-minute sightseeing flight. They can also experience skydiving with the help of professionals.

The aircraft showcased at the festival include a Hughes 500 helicopter, Ilyushin Il-18 passenger planes, MiG-29 and Su-25 jet fighters, Tupolev Tu-134 and Tu-154 airliners, among many others. Most planes on display are Russian-made.

North Korea has called the festival "a non-political event organised to bring together aviation and air sports enthusiasts from around the world to share in their passion."