The airport has two runways, 01/19 (northern) and 17/35 (southern one). (Ongoing terminal construction in the southern part is a possible reason for why starts and landings are carried out primarily on runway 01/19 as of April 2013.)
The airport's hours of operation are from 06:00 to 22:00 in the summer and 07:00 to 21:00 in the winter.[citation needed] The airport is the main hub for the national flag carrier, Air Koryo.
History
The first airport in Pyongyang was located on the east bank fo the Taedong River but soon after World War II, there was a need for a newer airport and the Sunan International Airport was constructed. During the Korean War British correspondent Reginald Thompson noted the airport was very busy with the United Nations forces flying large numbers of suplies into it during the seven weeks they occupied it in late 1950. The airport was inundated by water after the US Air Force bombed the Toksan Dam on May 13, 1953 causing a major flood. Following the Korean War the airport was reconstructed.
In 2000, Aeroflot discontinued its flights from Moscow and later discontinued its services from Khabarovsk. China Southern Airlines offered scheduled charter flights to and from Beijing during the peak season only, permanently pulled its flights in November 2006. In April 2008, Air China re-established service to Beijing, 3 days a week. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines also provided chartered flight services to Seoul, and Yangyang on the east coast of South Korea from Pyongyang. These flights were used by Korean family members visiting divided family across the border.
In July 2011, the new international terminal at Sunan Airport was completed. It caters to flights alongside the existing Terminal 1.[1] This single story glass structure is more modern than the Soviet architecture of the main terminal building. This building is a customs building and will serve as an international terminal as the main terminal is undergoing renovations for 2012.[2]
Open Street Map of the airport, showing both runways.
The airport contains a car park, a business centre, accessible facilities, a duty-free shop, a Business Class lounge, a taxi stand, a Korea Trade Bank, and several souvenir shops. The airport also has a baggage storage facility. Air Koryo offer bus services between Pyongyang and Sunan International Airport. The airport's book shop opens at 10:00. The airport's restaurant, bar and the Korea Foreign Trade Bank all operate from 09:00 to 18:00.
The main runway (01/19) is equipped with ILS systems for precision approaches from both directions.
The airport can cater to four aircraft simultaneously. There are also 17 separate parking bays for additional aircraft. The airport also has a maintenance area that consists of two hangars one large and one smaller along with a large apron.
