Another step in thaw: Govt asks Air India, IndiGo to ready flights to China
Direct air connectivity between the two countries has remained suspended since early 2020.
- Aug 12, 2025,
- Updated Aug 12, 2025 8:32 PM IST
The Centre has instructed Air India and IndiGo to prepare for the resumption of direct flights to China by next month, marking the first such services since they were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Officials have asked the airlines to be ready to operate routes to China at short notice, signaling a potential step toward normalising relations after years of heightened tensions. Direct air connectivity between the two countries has remained suspended since early 2020.
India–China relations deteriorated following a deadly clash between troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, which marked the most serious military confrontation between the two nations in decades. In the aftermath, both sides reinforced deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and entered multiple rounds of military and diplomatic negotiations. While some disengagement took place at specific friction points in the years that followed, several areas remain unresolved.
A breakthrough occurred last year when troops completed withdrawal from eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok plains on October 30, dismantling tents and other temporary positions. Despite lingering disputes, the disengagement process was seen as a key step toward reducing tensions.
The suspension of direct flights during the pandemic further curtailed economic and people-to-people exchanges. India also tightened scrutiny on imports from China and imposed restrictions on Chinese investments, compounding the chill in bilateral relations. In recent months, however, signs of a thaw have emerged, with both nations continuing dialogue and restoring limited channels of cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to Tianjin later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, his first visit to China since 2019. Chinese officials have welcomed the trip, calling the summit "a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results." The visit follows a series of high-level SCO-related engagements in China by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Last month, India resumed issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals, a move that comes as part of efforts to repair bilateral ties. India had suspended the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals in 2020 largely due to the pandemic, but the restrictions continued in view of the eastern Ladakh border row.
The Centre has instructed Air India and IndiGo to prepare for the resumption of direct flights to China by next month, marking the first such services since they were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Officials have asked the airlines to be ready to operate routes to China at short notice, signaling a potential step toward normalising relations after years of heightened tensions. Direct air connectivity between the two countries has remained suspended since early 2020.
India–China relations deteriorated following a deadly clash between troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, which marked the most serious military confrontation between the two nations in decades. In the aftermath, both sides reinforced deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and entered multiple rounds of military and diplomatic negotiations. While some disengagement took place at specific friction points in the years that followed, several areas remain unresolved.
A breakthrough occurred last year when troops completed withdrawal from eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok plains on October 30, dismantling tents and other temporary positions. Despite lingering disputes, the disengagement process was seen as a key step toward reducing tensions.
The suspension of direct flights during the pandemic further curtailed economic and people-to-people exchanges. India also tightened scrutiny on imports from China and imposed restrictions on Chinese investments, compounding the chill in bilateral relations. In recent months, however, signs of a thaw have emerged, with both nations continuing dialogue and restoring limited channels of cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to Tianjin later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, his first visit to China since 2019. Chinese officials have welcomed the trip, calling the summit "a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results." The visit follows a series of high-level SCO-related engagements in China by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Last month, India resumed issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals, a move that comes as part of efforts to repair bilateral ties. India had suspended the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals in 2020 largely due to the pandemic, but the restrictions continued in view of the eastern Ladakh border row.