India and China resume direct flights

Direct flights between China and India officially resumed on Sunday after a hiatus of five years. Following years of tense ties, the two neighbors first announced that air connection would be restored at the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan last October. 

The first flight, an A320 Neo operated by Indian private carrier IndiGo, departed from Kolkata to Guangzhou carrying 176 passengers. A ceremony at the airport marked the occasion, with one passenger lighting a ceremonial lamp symbolizing the spirit of renewed friendship and cooperation between India and China.

“My flight was going to Hong Kong. I had to cancel that, and now it’s going directly from Kolkata to Guangzhou. So it’s a very good opportunity here, and I hope it will start directly from Delhi too,” said Abdul, a businessman who frequently travels to China.

Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, hailed the development in a post on X. She added that the Shanghai-New Delhi route is set to launch on November 9, with three weekly flights. 

Direct flights between India and China were suspended at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. A border clash in June of that year further strained relations. 

In July 2025, India resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens after a five-year pause. Later, Modi visited China for the first time since 2018, where he met Xi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. Modi remarked at the time: “Our relationship has taken a positive direction. There is peace and stability on the borders.”

Xu Feihong, Chinese Ambassador to India, posted on Sunday that India’s exports to China surged about 22% in the first half of 2025-26, compared to the first half of fiscal year 2025. “China welcomes more premium Indian goods in its market and stands ready to help offset the impact of US tariffs on India’s trade,” the envoy wrote.

In addition to resuming direct flights, the two countries have agreed on measures to improve border management and reopen cross-border trade.