After more than five years of suspension, India-China direct flights are set to restart by the end of October 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday. The decision is seen as a significant move towards improving relations between the two Asian giants, which were deeply strained following the Covid-19 pandemic and the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.
A Step Towards Normalisation
In its statement, the MEA said both sides had been engaged in technical discussions since early 2025 to resume India-China flight operations and to update the Air Services Agreement.
“Following these talks, it has now been agreed that direct air services between designated points in India and China will resume in late October 2025, in line with the winter season schedule. The final decision, however, rests on the commercial choices of airlines from both countries and completion of operational requirements,” the MEA said.
Officials highlighted that restoring India-China air connectivity will make travel easier for business professionals, students, tourists, and families. The ministry added that resuming flights will “strengthen people-to-people contact” and support the “gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges.”
IndiGo Leads the Way
Private carrier IndiGo has announced that it will be the first Indian airline to re-enter the Chinese market. The airline will restart its daily non-stop service between Kolkata and Guangzhou (CAN) beginning October 26, 2025. Tickets for these China flights from India will go on sale from Friday.
IndiGo also plans to launch direct services from Delhi to Guangzhou soon, subject to approvals. These flights will be operated with Airbus A320neo aircraft.
Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said:
“We are proud to be amongst the first to resume direct connectivity to China from two major Indian cities. This step will once again enable seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas, while also deepening trade, tourism, and cultural ties between India and China.”
IndiGo added that its previous experience in China and strong partnerships with local stakeholders have helped speed up preparations for the India-China direct flights resumption.
Why It Matters?
Before the pandemic, India-China flights were a busy corridor. In 2019 alone, airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, China Southern, and China Eastern together operated over 539 direct flights between the two countries. These routes connected major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
However, after Covid-19 struck in March 2020, all international flights were suspended. The situation worsened after the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, which caused bilateral ties to nosedive. Since then, travelers between India and China have had to rely on transit routes through Southeast Asia or the Middle East, making journeys longer and costlier.
The restart of India-China air connectivity will significantly cut down travel time and costs for students studying in China, business communities engaged in cross-border trade, and families separated by travel restrictions.
Diplomatic Push Behind the Move
The breakthrough comes after an ice-breaking meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China earlier this year. Both leaders agreed to gradually restore normal exchanges, starting with civil aviation and people-to-people contact.
Analysts say the resumption of India-China flight operations is not just about travel but also about rebuilding trust. “Civil aviation is usually one of the first steps when two countries want to improve ties. It signals willingness to engage and reconnect, even if political differences remain,” said a former Indian envoy.
For now, IndiGo has taken the lead, but more airlines are expected to join the route revival in the coming months. Air India, which earlier operated non-stop flights to cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong, may also consider resuming China flights from India once regulatory approvals are in place.
If schedules expand as expected, passengers could soon see multiple options for India-China direct flights, restoring the kind of frequency last seen before 2020. Experts believe this will benefit not just trade and tourism but also students, researchers, and medical travellers who frequently move between the two countries.
