New Delhi (TDI): India and China will restart direct passenger flights later this month, ending a suspension that lasted more than five years, India’s foreign ministry announced on Thursday.
The move comes as both sides signal a cautious thaw in ties, despite lingering border tensions and a soaring trade imbalance.
Direct services were halted in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and never resumed, even though China remains India’s largest trading partner.
Indian budget carrier IndiGo said it will launch daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou starting October 26. The airline also plans to add a New Delhi–China route in the near future.
Read More: India, China to Resume Direct Flights, Boost Trade Links
The resumption follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last month, his first in seven years, where he attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping described their countries as “development partners, not rivals,” and discussed measures to expand trade ties amid global tariff uncertainty.
Read More: China, India FMs Hail ‘Positive Trend’ in Talks
At the same time, Modi raised India’s concerns over its widening trade deficit with China, which reached nearly $99.2 billion, and stressed the need to maintain stability along their disputed Himalayan frontier.
A deadly clash there in 2020 triggered a prolonged military standoff that continues to overshadow relations.
