(TibetanReview.net, Oct03’25) – India and China finally have a date for resuming direct flight services after a gap of five years that began from the global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and continued as a result of the Ladakh-border clashes between the two sides during the same year. The move signals a cautious easing of bilateral tensions, Reuters Oct 2 cited Indian’s External Affairs Ministry (EAF) as saying.
Airline IndiGo announced that it will resume the direct flights from Oct 26, connecting Kolkata to Guangzhou (CAN) with daily, non-stop flights. The announcement came shortly after the MEA announced that the two countries had reached an agreement for the same, reported indiatoday.in Oct 2.
“Since earlier this year, as part of the Government’s approach towards gradual normalisation of relations between India and China, the civil aviation authorities of the two countries have been engaged in technical-level discussions on resuming direct air services between the two countries and on a revised Air Services Agreement,” the MEA announcement was quoted as saying.
India’s flagship carrier, Air India, is likely to resume its flight services to China by the end of the year, with direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou, the report said.
The MEA announcement was cited a saying it was agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China could resume by late Oct 2025, subject to the commercial decisions of the designated carriers from both countries and the fulfilment of all operational criteria.
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The decision to resume flight services came against the backdrop of gradual improvement in bilateral relations over the past year. Beginning with the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Depsang and Demchok in late 2024, both sides have undertaken a series of confidence-building measures to stabilise ties, the report said.
This has included high-level diplomatic and military dialogues, increased Track-II engagements, and easing of trade restrictions on select goods. The resumption of direct air services marks another step forward in restoring normal exchanges between the two countries, the report added.
According to the PTI news agency Oct 2, analysts view the resumption of flights as part of incremental efforts by both governments to stabilise ties, rebuild confidence, and strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.
China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Oct 3 cited the announcement of the resumption of direct flight services as another sign of normalization of bilateral ties that will help boost economic and people-to-people exchanges.