Direct flights between China, India to resume on Sunday
(MENAFN) Direct flights between India and China resumed on Sunday after a five-year suspension. The restoration of air travel was first announced during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at last year’s BRICS summit in Kazan, following a period of strained relations.
The inaugural flight, an IndiGo A320 Neo, departed from Kolkata to Guangzhou with 176 passengers. A ceremony at the airport included the lighting of a ceremonial lamp, symbolizing renewed cooperation and friendship between the two nations.
“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, welcomed the resumption in a social media post, adding that the Shanghai-New Delhi route is scheduled to begin on November 9 with three weekly flights.
Flights between the two countries were initially suspended at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and a border clash that June further heightened tensions.
In July 2025, India resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens after a five-year hiatus. Later, Modi visited China for the first time since 2018, meeting Xi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, where he noted: “Our relationship has taken a positive direction. There is peace and stability on the borders.”
Xu Feihong, Chinese Ambassador to India, highlighted on Sunday that India’s exports to China increased by about 22% in the first half of fiscal year 2025-26 compared to the same period the previous year. “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 ambassador stated.
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