Air Chollima - Tupolev Tu-204

Air Chollima, named after the powerful flying horse in East Asian mythology (literally 1000-li horse), is the flag carrier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Created in the late 50s to serve a vital air link for diplomats and elites travelling between Pyongyang and Moscow, Korean-Soviet Air Lines (Корейско-Советская Авиакомпания) was created using the newest Soviet aircraft. The airline was rebranded to Chollima Korean People's Airline in 1960.

Fast forward seventy years later and one or two generations of aircraft later, not much has changed. In fact, a Lisunov Li-2 built in 1945 still operates occasional domestic flights. Despite the 1999 rebranding as Air Chollima and having taken delivery of various new Antonov aircraft in the latest few decades, the airline remains one of the most secretive in the world.

Depicted above is a Tupolev Tu-204 of Air Chollima, one of the more common aircraft used for international flights - but it seems that this particular example is being used for governmental transport today. Mr. Kim's S600 Pullman limo can also be seen.