India and China have agreed to resume direct air services by late October 2025, marking a significant step toward normalising bilateral relations that had been strained since the 2020 border standoff and further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the ministry's statement, technical-level talks between aviation officials from both sides had been on since earlier this year.

The Ministry of External Affairs announced this development following sustained technical-level discussions between civil aviation authorities and recent diplomatic engagements, including talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

Under the new agreement, designated carriers from India and China will be permitted to operate direct flights between agreed points, starting with the winter season schedule, subject to the fulfilment of all operational and commercial requirements.

IndiGo announced that it will resume daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou starting October 26, 2025, with plans to introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly, pending regulatory approvals. Indigo will operate these routes using Airbus A320neo aircraft.

The resumption of direct flights is expected to revive cross-border trade, strengthen strategic business partnerships, and promote tourism between India and China, two of the world’s fastest-growing economies. This move also aims to facilitate people-to-people exchanges that had been severely curtailed during the four-plus years since the suspension of flights, which disrupted business, tourism, and academic interactions.

Air India is also expected to restart its flight services to China, potentially with Delhi–Shanghai routes, by the end of 2025, focusing on business travellers and students, further enhancing connectivity between the two countries.

The restoration of direct air services is seen as part of broader efforts by both governments to stabilize their relationship, rebuild confidence, and promote cooperation across multiple sectors amid ongoing geopolitical and trade considerations, including US-India trade negotiations and tariffs imposed by the US. Analysts view these flights as practical steps toward gradual normalisation and greater economic and cultural interaction between India and China.

India-China direct flights will resume on October 26, 2025, beginning with IndiGo's Kolkata-Guangzhou route, soon to be followed by Delhi-Guangzhou flights. This development marks a cautious yet notable thaw in bilateral ties and promises to boost business, tourism, and strategic cooperation between the two Asian giants.

Based On NDTV Report