NEW DELHI – In a significant step toward normalizing bilateral relations, India and China announced Thursday they will resume direct passenger flights between select cities later this month, marking the end of a suspension that has lasted more than five years.
The reinstatement of air connectivity comes as both Asian giants signal their willingness to gradually thaw relations that had been frozen following a deadly border confrontation in 2020. Despite the aviation freeze, China has remained India’s largest bilateral trading partner throughout this period.
First Routes to Launch
IndiGo, India’s dominant airline carrier, revealed it will inaugurate daily nonstop service between Kolkata and the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou starting October 26. The airline has also indicated plans to establish a connection between India’s capital, New Delhi, and Guangzhou.
Diplomatic Breakthrough
The aviation announcement follows a notable diplomatic engagement last month when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to China for the first time in seven years. Modi attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security alliance.
During his visit, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held discussions that emphasized cooperation over competition. The two leaders agreed that their nations should view themselves as “development partners rather than rivals” and explored strategies to bolster economic ties amid growing global trade uncertainties.
Lingering Concerns
Modi used the opportunity to address India’s mounting trade imbalance with China, which has swelled to nearly $99.2 billion. He also stressed the critical need for maintaining peace and tranquility along the two countries’ contested Himalayan frontier.
The border issue remains sensitive following a violent clash in 2020 that resulted in casualties on both sides and triggered a prolonged military standoff spanning five years. The resumption of flights represents one of the most tangible signs yet that both nations are working to move beyond that confrontation.Retry
