• Source:JND
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday announced that India-China direct air services are likely to resume by late October 2025. Resumption would be based on the winter season schedule and subject to commercial considerations by the airlines designated by the two countries, as well as satisfactory fulfillment of all operational requirements.

MEA said technical-level negotiations have been under way since the early part of this year between the civil aviation authorities of India and China. The negotiations entailed the resumption of direct connections and reforming the current Air Services Agreement to ensure the operations are smooth as per global aviation standards. The action is an important move in the ongoing process of normalisation of the two regional neighbours' bilateral relations.

Diplomatic Engagements

The decision follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting on the sidelines of the SCO summit earlier this year, where the two leaders held talks on stabilising ties and increasing cooperation. The two nations had been in soured relations since the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash that saw diplomatic ties reach a decades-low level. Direct flights had previously been shut down early in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic, and other than a handful of repatriation flights, air connectivity has not been resumed since.

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Airlines Prepare For Operations

Air India has put in bids to operate flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Shanghai, and IndiGo has plans for operations from Kolkata to Guangzhou subject to final regulatory clearances. Both carriers showed interest in commencing operations as soon as formal approval is on the anvil.

India-China trade has never ceased to grow even under strained relations, totaling over $131 billion in the last year. Over half a million tourists traveled indirectly through third-country stopovers, generating strong demand for direct flights. The revival of the service should boost people-to-people exchange, business travels, and educational exchange, leading to wider bilateral engagement.

MEA pointed out that this mutual agreement between the two nations' aviation authorities will further ease interaction between the citizens of the two nations, enhancing the platform for cultural, scholarly, and commercial exchange. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently met Prime Minister Modi, with both the leaders referencing the slow but forward progress in relations on the basis of each other's respect of interest.

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Now, people traveling from China to India and vice versa must take connecting flights through airports like Hong Kong or Singapore, which is a time and money-consuming process. Direct flights will certainly save considerable time and money, which will be a big relief for businessmen, students, and tourists.