China restricts North Korean airline operations.

(Baonghean.vn) - China will restrict the operations of North Korean airline Air Koryo following an emergency landing in a northeastern city last month.

The Russian-made Air Koryo TU 204-300 was flying from Beijing to Pyongyang and was forced to make an emergency landing in Shenyang after smoke was detected in the cabin. Fortunately, the emergency landing was safe and there were no casualties.

Pilot of North Korea's Air Koryo airline. Photo: The guardian

China's civil aviation regulator said the incident was caused by a call button located under the baggage rack in the aircraft cabin.

China has found problems that the North Korean airline must address. The requirements include training for dealing with similar incidents, how to communicate with air traffic control, and improved aircraft maintenance.

In addition, the country also announced that it would take measures to restrict Air Koryo's operations but did not specify the content.

A representative of the North Korean airline in Beijing said he had no knowledge of the situation and would not provide further information.

Most of the airline's flights are to China or the Russian Far East. According to independent ratings website Skytrax, Air Koryo is the only one-star airline in the world that meets very poor quality standards.

The national airline uses old Soviet-era aircraft to operate international flights.

Phan Vu

(According to Reuters)