India and China Resume Direct Flights After Five-Year Suspension
India and China will resume direct flights between the two countries this month, ending a five-year hiatus. The announcement was made by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, describing the move as another step toward the normalization of bilateral relations.
Five Years of Closed Skies
Operations were suspended in 2020 following clashes between troops in the Galwan Valley, along the Himalayan border, which left at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead. It was the first fatal confrontation between the two sides since 1975, leading to a complete freeze in diplomatic relations and the suspension of air traffic.
Since then, there has been no direct air route linking the two nations, which share more than 3,440 kilometers of border and overlapping territorial claims.
IndiGo Resumes Operations
India’s largest low-cost carrier, IndiGo, confirmed that it will restart direct flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou on October 26. The airline thus becomes the first to reestablish an air connection since the suspension in 2020.
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According to India’s foreign ministry, the resumption of these connections will “strengthen people-to-people contacts” and contribute to the “gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges.”
A Diplomatic Thaw Underway
Over the past year, New Delhi and Beijing have held multiple rounds of talks aimed at easing tensions along the border and rebuilding their relationship. Last October, they agreed on new patrolling mechanisms in the disputed Himalayan area to avoid incidents.
In addition, China has once again begun allowing Indian pilgrims to visit religious sites in Tibet, while India has resumed issuing visas to Chinese tourists and agreed to revive discussions on cross-border trade through designated checkpoints.
External Factors and Political Engagement
Tensions between India and the United States, following tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump, have also prompted New Delhi to seek closer ties with Beijing. In August, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India, emphasizing that both countries should view each other as “partners” rather than “adversaries.”
That same month, China’s ambassador in Delhi, Xu Feihong, accused Washington of acting like a “bully” by imposing tariffs on India and other economies.
Also in August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, marking his first visit to the country in seven years. There, he met with President Xi Jinping, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to normalizing bilateral relations.
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