India and China Reignite Air Travel Links as Diplomatic Relations Warm

Sun Dec 21 2025 00:54:17 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Direct flights between India and China resume, signaling a thaw in relations after years of tension.

Direct flights between India and China have resumed for the first time since the Covid pandemic, following a period of improving diplomatic relations. The IndiGo flight from Kolkata arrived in Guangzhou, carrying around 180 passengers. The resumption of these flights is seen as a step forward in bilateral interactions, which have been strained by border disputes and the pandemic.

Direct flights between India and China have resumed as relations between the countries appear to be thawing.

IndiGo flight 6E 1703 from Kolkata landed in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Monday, carrying about 180 passengers.

Flights between the two countries were first suspended during the Covid pandemic in early 2020 and did not restart after a deadly clash in a disputed Himalayan border area escalated tensions.

However, the two countries have been steadily rebuilding relations, and last year they reached a landmark agreement on border patrols.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi visited China in August for the first time in seven years. That same month Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited India.

The Indian government noted that the resumption of flights would facilitate people-to-people contact and support the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges.

India has also resumed the issuance of visas for Chinese tourists.

At the Kolkata airport, airline staff lit brass oil lamps to celebrate the recommencement of these vital flights. A senior Chinese consular official remarked that it was a very important day for the India-China relationship.

One passenger noted that the direct connection would enhance logistics and reduce transit time. Furthermore, China Eastern Airlines is expected to launch a flight connecting Shanghai and Delhi in November.