**India, China to Soon Resume Direct Flights After 5-Year Suspension**
*By Mudit Dube | Oct 03, 2025*
India and China are set to resume direct flight services later this month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced. This marks the end of a suspension that began in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened tensions along the eastern Ladakh border.
According to the MEA, direct air services connecting designated points in both countries can resume by late October, signaling a positive development in bilateral relations.
**Airline Response: IndiGo Leads the Charge**
IndiGo, India’s largest budget airline, has announced plans to restart direct flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou starting October 26. The airline will operate daily non-stop services on this route, subject to regulatory approvals.
In addition, IndiGo aims to launch direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou in the near future, further enhancing air connectivity between the two nations.
**Diplomatic Efforts: Steps Toward Normalization**
The resumption of direct flights is viewed as a significant move toward normalizing India-China ties. The MEA highlighted that this will “further facilitate people-to-people contact,” contributing to the “gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges” between the two countries.
**Impact on Passenger Traffic**
The suspension of direct flights, coupled with strict visa restrictions, had resulted in a considerable loss of passenger traffic and revenue for airlines from both India and China. During this period, carriers from other Southeast Asian countries filled the connectivity gap.
With the resumption of direct flights, it is expected that passenger traffic between India and China will improve substantially. Currently, travel relies on connecting hubs in South and Southeast Asia, with volumes at less than half of the 2019 levels. The renewed air links are poised to reverse this trend, boosting travel and economic exchanges between the two nations.
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*Stay tuned for more updates on India-China relations and travel developments.*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/direct-flights-between-india-china-to-resume-this-month/story
