The Worst Airline In The World

Entering the area of the most infamous carrier in aviation, we come upon Air Koryo, the mysterious national airline of North Korea. This strange creature is among the few thin threads linking the hermetic country to the outside world; this function has earned it the dubious reputation as the worst airline on Earth.

The arbiter of airline quality, Skytrax, has bestowed upon Air Koryo the terrible honor of being the only recipient of a one-star rating, a mark that says volumes about the supposed quality of its service. But rather than a fair evaluation of the airline’s actual performance, this rating could more reflect political tensions and restricted access.

Drawn by the appeal of the forbidden and the excitement of the unusual, adventurous aviation aficionados have set out to record their experiences on this most hated of carriers. Their stories create a strange and surreal yet rather ordinary picture that contrasts modern air travel standards with Cold War-era aesthetics.

Established in the late 1950s, Air Koryo’s fleet is a living museum of Soviet aircraft design. Remnants of a bygone age, these iron birds travel a small network of domestic routes inside North Korea’s borders and venture carefully outside to a few chosen international locations. Through its operations to three Chinese cities—Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenyang—as well as the Russian port of Vladivostok, the airline preserves a tenuous lifeline to the outside world.

Once on board, guests are instantly enmeshed in the distinctive Air Koryo encounter. Every visitor is given the newest edition of the weekly French and English publication Pyongyang Times, which offers a window into the well chosen universe of North Korean media. Often blessed with the image of the country’s leadership, this propaganda piece sets the tone for a trip unlike any other in contemporary aviation.

The in-flight experience is a tapestry of the surprising. Standard of air travel worldwide, safety briefings have a strange character here. Passengers claimed hearing recordings praising the late Kim Jong-Il’s virtues as recently as 2014, despite his death years ago. This temporal gap is typical of the airline’s special role as a carrier not only of people but also of a certain perspective.

Air Koryo’s look has changed with time. The brilliant red uniforms that once reflected the colors of the North Korean flag are gone. The modern cabin crew today dresses in blue, a subdued nod to modernism in this most traditional of environments.

Although photography is formally forbidden on Air Koryo flights, some adventurous travellers have risked censure to catch views of this rarefied world. Propaganda movies take front stage in summer instead of the usual in-flight entertainment since they provide a cinematic window into the official story of the country.

Passenger assessments of Air Koryo offer a study in contrasts. While some passengers find unanticipated benefits, others voice disappointment with what they consider to be inattentive service. The airline rarely experiences crowding and boasts a rather good punctuality record. Most importantly, Air Koryo has kept a fatality-free record since 1983, evidence of either its safety policies or maybe the scant knowledge of its activities.

Within the field of international aviation, Air Koryo is a singular presence. After Russia’s Aeroflot left the market, it shares the heavens above North Korea with just one other carrier, Air China. Air Koryo gains significance beyond simple travel from this near-monopoly on access to one of the most secretive countries on Earth.

We are reminded of the power of perspective and the complexity of international relations as we consider the odd place of Air Koryo in the pantheon of world airlines. Although Air Koryo is labeled as “worst airline in the world,” it provides an interesting case study in the junction of politics, culture, and aviation, giving a rare look into a world few outsiders ever visit.