After more than five years, direct commercial flights between India and China have resumed — marking a significant step in reviving bilateral connectivity and easing geopolitical tensions. India’s foreign ministry announced that designated routes to China would restart by late October 2025, subject to airline decisions and operational clearances.

The first service in the renewed links will be operated by IndiGo, opening a daily, non-stop route between Kolkata and Guangzhou from 26 October 2025 using Airbus A320neo aircraft. Meanwhile, additional routes such as Delhi–Shanghai are scheduled to recommence from early November.

The link was severed in early 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic and heightened border tensions — including the fatal clash in the Galwan Valley region — which froze direct India-China passenger services.

The reopening reflects the two neighbours’ broader push to normalise relations and reclaim trade and tourism momentum. Chinese officials described the move as a “positive step” toward fulfilling the bilateral understanding struck between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping earlier this year.

For business and leisure travellers, direct flights will mean lower transit times, fewer layovers and easier access between two of Asia’s fastest-growing major economies. Analysts say the move also lays the groundwork for deeper cooperation in services, manufacturing and tourism.

However, the resumption comes with a note of caution: while air routes reopen, underlying strategic and border issues remain unresolved and will shape the long-term trajectory of India-China connectivity.