BEIJING, Oct 9: China has hailed the resumption of direct flights with India after a five-year suspension as a positive step toward strengthening bilateral ties.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the move reflects both countries’ commitment to the understandings reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their August 2025 meeting in Tianjin.
Flights between the two nations were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a prolonged border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The first flights will resume on October 26, with IndiGo operating daily services between Kolkata and Guangzhou, and plans for a Delhi-Guangzhou route.
China Eastern will also resume operations, while Air China has yet to announce its plans. The move follows ongoing technical-level engagements and is expected to boost people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation.
Relations, once at a low after the 2020 Galwan clashes, have gradually improved, with troop disengagement and renewed diplomatic talks. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has also been reinstated as part of broader normalization efforts. (PTI)
