India and China resume direct flights amid improving relations

Direct flights between India and China have resumed for the first time in more than four years, signalling a gradual thaw in relations between the two neighbours.

An IndiGo flight from Kolkata landed in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Monday, carrying around 180 passengers. It marked the first direct air connection between the countries since flights were suspended in early 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The service had remained grounded amid heightened tensions following a deadly clash along their disputed Himalayan border later that year.

Relations between New Delhi and Beijing have shown signs of improvement in recent months. The two sides reached a landmark agreement on border patrol coordination last year, and officials have held a series of high-level meetings aimed at restoring stability.

Announcing the resumption of flights earlier this month, India’s government said the move would “facilitate people-to-people contact” and contribute to “the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges.”

The revival of direct air links follows a series of diplomatic and practical steps to rebuild trust. In July, India resumed issuing visas for Chinese tourists, and in August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years, meeting President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

At Kolkata airport on Sunday evening, IndiGo staff lit traditional brass oil lamps to celebrate the milestone as passengers checked in for the flight. Qin Yong, a senior official from the Chinese consulate, called it “a very important day for the India–China relationship.”

Travellers welcomed the move, noting that it would significantly reduce travel time. “Earlier, we had to take two or three connecting flights via Singapore to reach China,” businessman Krishna Goyal told ANI news agency. “This will make trade and travel much easier.”

China Eastern Airlines is also set to restart operations between Shanghai and Delhi from 9 November, with three flights per week, according to a post by the Chinese embassy in India.

Before the suspension of services in 2020, India and China operated more than 2,500 scheduled flights annually, according to travel data provider OAG.