North Korea's national carrier, Air Koryo, will increase the number of its flights between Pyongyang and Beijing despite stringent U.N. Security Council sanctions including a ban on the export of aviation fuel to the reclusive country, a news media report said Wednesday.

According to Air Koryo's website, the North's flagship carrier is scheduled to increase flights between the two capitals to five times a week from the present four as of July 1, Washington-based Voice of America reported.

VOA said Air Koryo's JS151 will depart Pyongyang International Airport for Beijing every Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. starting next month.

On the same day, the airline's JS152 will depart Beijing Capital International Airport at noon and arrive in Pyongyang at 2:30 p.m.

The media said that the Russian-made Tupolev Tu-204 will be used on the route. It is a twin-engine medium-range aircraft capable of carrying 140 passengers.

Meanwhile, the North's Air Koryo is known to be operating the Pyongyang-Shanghai route two times a week, according to VOA. The route was temporarily operated last summer but then stopped.

In a related development, the North resumed flights between Pyongyang and Kuwait last month, after the route had been suspended in February. (Yonhap)