Samjiyon Airport

The airport is located near Baekdu Mountain. Tour groups fly to the airport for scheduled journeys to this significant landmark and to see the birthplace of Kim Jong-il.^[1] All tours to the area will include a trip here. There is a high presence of military equipment at this airport, there are large numbers of older Soviet jets such as MiG-15's lined up in sidings next to the runway and many utility vehicles/jeeps. Whether or not these are operational is unknown, but highly unlikely given their apparent condition.

The airport was built in the 1980s to accommodate a ski center planned by a South Korean company. The venture failed, and Samjiyŏn airport now sits in a deserted location.^[2] The only flights to this airport are from Pyongyang Sunan International Airport and served by the country's only airline: Air Koryo.

In 2025, redevelopment of the airport began, with a new two-gate terminal and a railway station for train connections to Samjiyon being built in order to facilitate planned tourism in the city.^[3]

In April 2026 satellite imagery showed that the runway was expanded and features the angled exit taxiways.^[4]

The airfield has a single asphalt runway 07/25, measuring 10750 x 197 feet (3277 x 60 m).^[5][6] It has a full-length parallel taxiway. Entrances to underground bunkers are clearly visible in satellite photography of the base.