China and India Resume Direct Flights After Five Years: A Milestone in Rebuilding Bilateral Relations

India had announced that direct flights to China would resume from October 26. (Representational)

Beijing:

China on Thursday characterized the resumption of direct flights with India after a five-year hiatus as a positive step, indicating that both countries are "faithfully acting" on the understandings reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to strengthen bilateral relations.

At a media briefing, the first since the Chinese Foreign Ministry resumed its regular schedule following the eight-day national holidays, spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed that flights would resume by the end of October.

India had announced on October 2 that direct flights to China would restart from October 26.

"This is the latest move that demonstrates how the two sides faithfully act on the important common understandings reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin on August 31," Guo stated in response to a question.

He added that it's an active measure that facilitates friendly exchanges between over 2.8 billion Chinese and Indian people.

Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping had met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their previous meeting at Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.

"China stands ready to work with India to view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, be friends enjoying good-neighborliness and partners helping each other succeed, and realize a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant so as to deliver more tangibly for the two peoples and make due contributions to upholding peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond," the spokesperson said.

Chinese airlines such as Air China, which previously operated flights between the two countries, have not yet announced formal plans for resumption.

Indian carrier IndiGo and China Eastern will be the first two airlines to resume direct flights between the two countries, according to people familiar with the development. IndiGo announced in a recent statement that it plans to operate daily flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou from October 26.

"Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly," the statement added.

The flight services between the two sides were suspended following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. They remained grounded due to the over-four-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh, which concluded in October last year.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that India and China would resume direct air services by the end of October.

"This follows continuous technical-level engagement between civil aviation authorities as part of broader efforts to normalize bilateral ties," the ministry explained.

"The move will greatly enhance air connectivity, support people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the strengthening of economic collaboration between the two countries," it further noted.

During the Tianjin meeting with President Xi Jinping on August 31, Prime Minister Modi had mentioned that the resumption of direct flights was under consideration.

India-China relations deteriorated to their lowest point since the 1962 war following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. After numerous diplomatic and military discussions, both sides withdrew their troops from several friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

In October last year, the two countries established a disengagement agreement for Depsang and Demchok, the final two friction points.

Shortly after finalizing the agreement, PM Modi and Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan and made several decisions to improve bilateral relations.

In recent months, both nations have implemented various measures to repair ties, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.