New Delhi: After a five year hiatus, direct flights between India and China are likely to resume soon, maybe as early as next month. The Government of India has apparently directed carriers like Air India and IndiGo to remain prepared.
China has been urging India to reconsider the resumption of direct services between the two countries for quite some time now. Sources said that India’s decision comes amid shifting geopolitical ties. India’s relations with the US have faced challenges recently after Washington imposed 50% tariff on Indian goods in what it claimed was in response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, from August where he may a one-on-one with Chinese president Xi Jinpeng. The formal announcement to restore direct air connectivity between the two most populous nations in the world may take place from Tianjin, officials believe.
Several Indians, particularly those with business interests in China, have hailed this move. The indirect routes via Hong Kong and Singapore not only cost more, they were time consuming. Businessmen value time over money after all.
Direct flights between the two countries were first suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even as the situation started improving, a border dispute broke out between India and China along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. In 2020, troops of the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China clashed in Galwan in 2020. This led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of PLA personnel.
The clash led to a military stand-off between the two countries. Talks eventually led to the withdrawal of troops by both nations and a semblance of normalcy was restored in relations between the two nations. In 2024, Modi met Jinpeng and spoke on mutual trust and cooperation to resolve border issues.
Since then, India eased restrictions on tourist visas for Chinese nationals. China also opened the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route for Indian pilgrims from 2025, after five years.
However, authorities have warned that the timeline for flight resumption remains uncertain, and negotiations could still face obstacles. Before suspension of services, Air India and IndiGo operated routes to China alongside Chinese airlines like Air China and China Southern.
Attempts were made to restart direct flights in January and June but the plans got stalled amid diplomatic tensions. Renewed progress has been made only in the last two weeks, with airlines now being briefed on the plans.
