Pyongyang’s shiny new airport building has all the features international travellers have come to expect.
On arrival passengers see coffee and well-stocked souvenir shops, a DVD stand, information desk and a slickly produced billboard showing a crew of the nation’s flag-carrier, Air Koryo, looking sharp in their blue and red uniforms. There are even two chocolate fountains. One for white chocolate and the other one for dark.
But some of the amenities lose their luster upon closer examination. Case in point: the internet room appears to be missing the internet.
On two recent trips through the airport, the room’s three terminals were either occupied by airport employees, making it impossible for others to use them, or were completely empty – with their keyboards removed.
Maybe it was a temporary glitch. It’s hard to say, since airport officials have refused to comment.
Yesterday Air Koryo, North Korea’s official carrier, was named the worst airline on the planet for the fourth year running. Skytrax, who monitor international aviation standards, gave the airline one-star flagging up its “questionable” safety and rudimentary safety belts. The airport offers little improvement.
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