New Delhi: India and China are set to restart direct flights later this month after a five-year suspension, in a move seen as a cautious step towards easing tensions between the two Asian powers.
Flights between the two countries were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and remained suspended amid heightened border tensions in the Himalayan region.
The resumption comes as both governments seek to rebuild economic ties and restore people-to-people exchanges. In a statement posted on Chinese social media platform WeChat, India’s embassy in Beijing said that services between designated cities would restart by late October, subject to commercial airline decisions. The announcement was described as part of New Delhi’s approach towards gradual normalization of relations between India and China.
印中恢复直飞航线
2025 年 10 月 2 日
今年早些时候，作为印度政府推动印中关系逐步正常化举措的一部分，两国民航主管部门就恢复印中直飞航线及修订《航空服务协定》展开了技术层面的磋商。
2. 经上述磋商，双方目前已达成共识：印中两国间连接指定通航点的直飞航线，可依据 2025… https://t.co/eaYk3JuAwv
— India in China (@EOIBeijing) October 3, 2025
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said it would relaunch its Kolkata–Guangzhou route from October 26, marking the first step in restoring connectivity.
The move follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, where he attended last month’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines and agreed that the two nations should be ‘development partners, not rivals.’ Discussions focused on expanding trade and cooperation against the backdrop of global tariff disputes.
We’re delighted to announce the resumption of our flights to China, with direct flights to Guangzhou from Kolkata starting 26th October, 2025 further strengthening our commitment to making air travel more accessible for our customers. We are thankful to the Ministry of Civil…
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) October 2, 2025
The rapprochement comes as both countries face mounting pressure from Washington. US President Donald Trump last month raised tariff rates on Indian imports to 50 percent, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
He also urged the European Union to impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods, seeking to intensify pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
India-China relations worsened in 2020 after violent clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. The incident froze high-level engagement and stalled progress on trade and transport links.
