Air Koryo (Photo : Reuters)
North Korean airline Air Koryo is named the world's worst for the fourth consecutive time.
Air Koryo was given a low one-star rating by Skytrax, an aviation consultancy based in the United Kingdom. The firm provides reviews and rankings not only for airlines, but also for airports, Traveller 24 reported.
The North Korean airline have not bought a new aircraft for the last 20 years, despite North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's plan to update the airline's status.
In 2006, Air Koryo was banned from travelling to and from European airspace because of maintenance and safety reasons. Recently, the ban was lifted, but only for the North Korean carrier's Russian-made TU-204 aircraft.
The airline is contrasted with several top ranking carriers within the South East Asian region, including South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Japan's ANA, Singapore and Malaysia Airlines.
Air Koryo, even with 64 obsolete planes, still travels to 14 airports located in six countries, with China's Shenyang and capital Beijing being the most popular destinations, according to Daily Mail.
Singaporean photographer Aram Pan travelled to North Korea via Air Koryo. He was given access to capture photos of the airline's old planes, including helicopters and cargo transporters.
Pan captured several photographs of the North Korean airport, the interiors of the plane and even a plane's cockpit, which showed very old analog equipment.
Air Koryo's in-flight entertainment was limited to only playing North Korean documentaries and dramas.
Pan's visit to North Korea was not the first time; he flew in 2013 where he documented North Korean citizens enjoying a water park and miles of crops, contradicting the popular notion of what the country looks like. He said that his trip to Pyongyang was a "different experience."
