Crystal Dike
Direct flights between India and China have officially resumed, marking a significant improvement in relations between the two Asian giants.
On Monday, IndiGo flight 6E 1703 from Kolkata landed in Guangzhou, southern China, carrying about 180 passengers — the first direct commercial service between both nations since 2020.
Flights were suspended in early 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and remained grounded following a deadly border clash in the Himalayas that severely strained ties.
The resumption comes amid a series of diplomatic engagements signaling a gradual normalisation of relations. Last year, both countries reached a landmark agreement on border patrols.
Earlier this month, the Indian government said the return of direct flights would “facilitate people-to-people contact” and support “the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges.”
At Kolkata airport on Sunday evening, airline staff lit traditional brass oil lamps to celebrate the occasion as passengers checked in. “It is a very important day for the India-China relationship,” said Qin Yong, a senior Chinese consular official present at the event.
Passengers expressed relief over reduced travel time. Business traveler Krishna Goyal told ANI news agency that direct flights would “boost trade and relations” between the two countries, noting that travelers previously had to connect via Singapore or other hubs.
The move follows a steady improvement in diplomatic ties. In August, Indian 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 (SCO) summit. Earlier that month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had visited New Delhi for talks on “de-escalation, delimitation, and boundary affairs.”
India had also resumed issuing visas for Chinese tourists in July.
Before the pandemic, India and China operated about 2,588 scheduled flights annually, according to travel data provider OAG.
China Eastern Airlines is also set to launch a new route connecting Shanghai and Delhi starting 9 November, with three weekly flights, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India announced on X.