North Korea’s leader has long travelled on a Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-62M, a four-engine jetliner that first flew in 1963, and the cabin photos released by state media show a heavily refurbished VIP interior. This page covers the aircraft, its history and what the pictures actually show.
Kim Jong Un’s private jet at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | Ilyushin Il-62M (NATO name “Classic”) |
| Call sign | Chammae-1 (the chammae is North Korea’s national bird) |
| Operator | Air Koryo crew, aircraft owned by the state |
| Length | About 174 ft (53 m) |
| Engines | Four rear-mounted Soloviev D-30KU turbofans |
| Other VIP jet | A second Il-62M, Chammae-2, carries senior officials; a separate private aircraft is listed as Goshawk-1 |
The plane itself
The Il-62 is a Soviet long-range airliner, designed in the early 1960s as the successor to the turboprop Il-18. It was the world’s largest jet airliner when it first flew in 1963 and entered Aeroflot service on 15 September 1967 with a Moscow to Montreal flight. Its four engines sit in pairs on either side of a T-tail, a layout it shares only with the British Vickers VC10.
The M version, introduced in 1973, has quieter and more efficient D-30KU engines. Special VIP “salon” versions of the type were built for heads of state in around 14 countries. North Korea owns two Il-62Ms in government colours, both fitted out as VIP aircraft.
Cabin photos
State media released pictures of the leader on board, showing him with senior military officers during an aerial inspection of a new building project in Pyongyang. The cabin looked fresh: new panelling, oversized armchairs and wood trim, the sort of makeover a decades-old airframe needs to carry a head of state.
The same jet is often shown on overseas trips, since the leader’s family has a history of preferring other transport. His father, Kim Jong Il, was widely reported to avoid flying and favoured trains, so the son’s regular use of aircraft stands out.
The “world’s largest airliner” claim and the price tag
Two numbers circulated with the original photos and both need fixing. The Il-62 was the largest jet airliner when it flew in 1963, not today; the Boeing 747 and later wide-bodies passed it within a few years. And the roughly 65,000 pound price tag floated at the time describes a worn-out airframe on the scrap market. It tells you nothing about what the government spent on the interior. We have found no reliable public figure for that, so we are not guessing one.
Where the type flies today
Yes, the type survives where spare parts and engines are available. As of November 2024, at least three Il-62s were in service worldwide, with Air Koryo and Belarus’ Rada Airlines, and Russia keeps the type for government duty. Air Koryo’s own small fleet is a mix of Ilyushin and Tupolev types operating from Pyongyang Sunan International Airport.
Keep reading
- 15 reasons not to buy a private jet: what a private aircraft really costs to own, for comparison with a state VIP jet
Curious about the country itself? See North Korea.
FAQ
What plane does Kim Jong Un fly?
North Korea’s leader has long travelled on a VIP-configured Ilyushin Il-62M known as Chammae-1. Reference works also list a second aircraft, called Goshawk-1, as his private plane.
What is the Ilyushin Il-62?
It is a Soviet four-engine long-range jetliner that first flew in 1963 and entered Aeroflot service on 15 September 1967. It carried up to about 198 passengers in a single-class layout.
Is the Il-62 the biggest airliner ever built?
No. It was the world’s largest jet airliner when it first flew in 1963, but that record fell long ago to wide-body jets such as the Boeing 747.
How much does Kim Jong Un’s jet cost?
There is no reliable public price. The old figure of about 65,000 pounds sometimes quoted for an Il-62 is for a used airframe on the open market, not for a refurbished government VIP aircraft.
Who else still flies the Il-62?
As of late 2024, at least three Il-62s were in service, with Air Koryo and Belarus’ Rada Airlines. Russia’s Rossiya also kept the type for government service.
Last updated: October 2026.
