Direct flights between India and China have officially resumed after more than four years, signalling a major stride toward restoring normal relations between the two neighbours.
On Sunday, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing confirmed the development on X, writing, “Direct flights between China and India are now a reality.” The announcement marks the first significant reopening of air travel since the suspension of flights following the COVID-19 pandemic and the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, one of the most serious border incidents in decades.
The first flight connecting Kolkata and Guangzhou took off on Sunday, setting the stage for renewed air connectivity. The Shanghai–New Delhi route is scheduled to begin operations on November 9, with three weekly flights.
Earlier this month, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to announce the resumption of services between the two countries. In a statement issued on October 2, the airline said it would operate daily nonstop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou starting October 26, 2025, using Airbus A320neo aircraft.
IndiGo also revealed plans to expand its network with direct Delhi–Guangzhou services, pending regulatory clearance. The airline said these new routes would help strengthen trade, business, and tourism links between India and China, ties that had been severely disrupted in recent years.
On October 11, the airline confirmed that daily flights between Delhi and Guangzhou would begin from November 10, further enhancing bilateral connectivity.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had also verified the resumption of flights earlier this month. While diplomatic and economic ties between New Delhi and Beijing have remained strained since 2020, both nations have gradually moved toward cautious engagement. In October 2024, the two sides reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), viewed as a significant step toward easing border tensions.
Although dialogue and trade exchanges have slowly resumed, direct commercial flights remained suspended, until now. The reinstatement of air travel is being seen as a tangible gesture of thawing relations and mutual willingness to rebuild cooperation.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy described the resumption as an “important milestone,” reaffirming Beijing’s commitment to development and improved ties. The move, they said, would not only boost economic collaboration but also strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
