Air China has since last week deployed wide-body Airbus A330 jets on the Beijing-Pyongyang route, data on the NK Pro Aviation Tracker shows, a decision likely connected to Chinese leader Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit to North Korea.

In an unusual move, all three round-trip Air China flights since last Wednesday have utilized long-range A330 jets instead of the normally used short-haul Boeing 737-800, analysis of data at the NK Pro Aviation Tracker indicates.