China’s ambassador to India announces resumption of direct flights by October end

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Xu Feihong, China's Ambassador to India, confirmed that direct flights between China and India would restart before the end of October. The announcement marks another significant step in the growing relationship between the two countries, following discussions held between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin on August 31.

Xu Feihong wrote, "China and India will restart direct flights before the end of October this year. 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. It’s also an active move that facilitates the friendly exchanges of over 2.8 billion Chinese and Indian people."

He further emphasised, "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 resumption of direct flights between India and China is expected to benefit various sectors, including business, academia, and tourism. Industry experts anticipate that the move will boost economic ties and promote greater exchanges between the neighbouring nations. This is the second major initiative in recent months, following India’s resumption of tourist visas for Chinese nationals in July.

On October 2, India officially announced the resumption of direct air services between the two nations, with the new flights slated to begin later this month. Budget airline IndiGo has already unveiled a new daily non-stop route between Kolkata, a city in eastern India, and Guangzhou, in China’s Guangdong province, set to commence on October 26.

The direct flight services between China and India were suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing travelers to use connecting flights through locations such as Singapore, Bangkok, or Hong Kong. This resumption of air travel is seen as a long-term strategic move by both governments, aimed at improving the business and trade environment and strengthening their overall bilateral relationship.