Direct flight services between India and China are being resumed after five years — a development seen as a significant step toward improving bilateral relations between the two countries.

IndiGo flight number 6E1703 will take off from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 10 p.m. tonight (October 26) for Guangzhou. Following this, the Delhi–Guangzhou route will also start operations from November 9.

After the Galwan clash, the strained India–China relations now appear to be gradually returning to normal. During a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the resumption of direct flight services. Since then, diplomatic engagement between the two nations has strengthened further.

After the Galwan Valley conflict in 2020, relations between the two countries had hit their lowest point since the 1962 war. However, subsequent military and diplomatic talks led to troop withdrawals from several points along the LAC, easing tensions. In October 2023, an agreement was reached over the last disputed points at Depsang and Demchok. Later, in Kazan, the Modi–Xi discussions resulted in several decisions aimed at improving ties.

Recently, the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has also been seen as another important step in normalising relations between the two countries. Now, the restart of direct air connectivity is expected to give a new boost to India–China relations.

This move will greatly benefit travellers, businesspersons, and students. Business delegations will now be able to travel directly to China, and Indian students pursuing higher studies there will save both time and money. Additionally, medical and religious travel (such as to Kailash Mansarovar) will become easier. The initiative is also expected to enhance trade, import–export, and tourism between the two nations.

The aviation industry hopes that if the positive momentum continues, direct flights from Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai to various Chinese cities may also start in the near future.