India and China to Resume Direct Flights After Five-Year Suspension

India will restore direct commercial flights with China later this month, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday, marking a significant thaw in relations between the two Asian giants after years of diplomatic and military tensions.

Direct air links between the world’s two most populous countries have been suspended since 2020, following deadly clashes along the disputed Himalayan border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The violent standoff triggered a sharp deterioration in ties, with both sides deploying tens of thousands of troops, heavy artillery, and building new infrastructure in the high-altitude region.

The fallout extended beyond security, as India restricted Chinese investments, banned a host of mobile applications, and tightened scrutiny on trade. At the same time, New Delhi deepened strategic partnerships with the United States, Japan, and Australia under the Quad grouping.

Signs of reconciliation emerged last year, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first bilateral meeting in five years on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Their engagement continued at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China last month, marking Modi’s first official visit to the country since 2018.

In August, border talks resumed during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi, where the two sides agreed to re-establish air connectivity. Following negotiations between civil aviation authorities, both governments finalized an agreement to resume services in line with the upcoming winter flight schedule.

“This agreement will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. It confirmed that direct flights would return by late October, subject to the decisions of commercial airlines and operational approvals.

India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, has already announced that it will begin daily nonstop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou starting October 26, making it the first airline to re-enter the market. Additional routes are expected to follow as carriers on both sides assess demand.

Analysts view the resumption of flights as an important but cautious step in rebuilding trust. “It is in the inherent interest of both India and China to have a stable and predictable relationship,” said Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Research Program at the Takshashila Institution. “It’s telling that it has taken nearly a year since the prime minister first met President Xi Jinping to finalize this agreement, but it is significant as a first step toward a new balance in the relationship.”

While deep differences remain over the border, the restoration of air links is seen as a practical move to encourage exchanges in business, education, and tourism. Officials and experts alike have described it as the foundation for broader normalization, even as both governments continue talks to resolve their longstanding disputes.