Resumption of Direct Flights Between India and China Set for Late October

Direct Flights to Resume After Five-Year Hiatus

The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday that direct flights between India and China will recommence in late October, marking the end of a five-year suspension that began in March 2020.

The inaugural flight, scheduled for October 26, will be operated by IndiGo, connecting Kolkata to Guangzhou. Tickets for this route will be available for purchase starting Friday.

Flight operations were halted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and were not reinstated amid ongoing border tensions, which escalated following a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley in June 2020.

Earlier this year, New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement to restore direct flights, ease visa restrictions, and resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, discussions between the civil aviation authorities of both nations have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, focusing on the resumption of direct air services and a revised Air Services Agreement.

The ministry noted that the restoration of flight services will align with the winter schedule, contingent upon the commercial decisions of the designated airlines and the fulfillment of operational requirements.

This agreement is expected to enhance people-to-people connections between India and China, aiding in the gradual normalization of bilateral relations.

Since March 2020, travelers between the two countries have had to rely on connecting flights through third-party hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.

Following the Galwan clashes, India and China have engaged in multiple rounds of military and diplomatic discussions aimed at resolving their border disputes.

In October 2024, both nations announced a patrolling arrangement along the Line of Actual Control, which facilitated the disengagement of their military forces in eastern Ladakh.

This agreement was reached just days before a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan, marking their first formal interaction since the military standoff began in mid-2020.