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India-China direct flights to resume this month
The civil aviation authorities from both countries agreed to restart services after a gap of five years, under a revised Air Services Agreement.
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Anushka Pathak - Thu, 02, Oct 2025
- 12:51 EDT
- 34
Representative Image / Courtesy: Canva
Direct flights between India and China will resume by late Oct. 2025, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Oct. 2, following an agreement between the civil aviation authorities of both countries.
The MEA said the flights will restart with the winter schedule, subject to airlines’ commercial decisions and operational clearances. “This agreement of the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges,” the ministry said in a statement.
Also Read: India launches e-Arrival Card for travellers from Oct. 1
Officials noted that while the arrangement is technical in nature, it reflects broader steps to improve trust and expand engagement between the two neighbors.
The direct connectivity had been suspended in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the gradual relaxation of restrictions by numerous countries, flights to China were still suspended as a result of the heightened border tensions that ensued following the conflict in the Galwan Valley in June 2020.
Following the MEA’s announcement, Indian airline IndiGo announced the resumption of daily flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou effective Oct. 26.
We’re delighted to announce the resumption of our flights to China, with direct flights to Guangzhou from Kolkata starting 26th October, 2025 further strengthening our commitment to making air travel more accessible for our customers. We are thankful to the Ministry of Civil…
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) October 2, 2025
Talks on restoring connectivity and revising the Air Services Agreement have been underway since earlier this year as part of efforts to gradually normalize relations between the two countries.
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