India-China direct flights to resume from October 26 after 5-year hiatus

In a significant development marking a step towards the normalisation of bilateral ties, India and China have agreed to resume direct flight operations after a gap of five years. The decision follows years of diplomatic strain that began with the Galwan clashes and was further complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, announced on Thursday that it will restart its direct services to mainland China from October 26, 2025, with daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou (CAN). The airline also revealed plans to expand the route network with Delhi–Guangzhou flights in the near future, operated by its Airbus A320neo fleet.

The announcement came shortly after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that both countries had reached an agreement to restore direct air connectivity. The ministry noted that civil aviation authorities from both sides had been engaged in “technical-level discussions” since early this year to work out the modalities under a revised Air Services Agreement.

Direct flights between India and China were initially disrupted in the wake of the Doklam standoff in 2017, before being suspended entirely due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The restoration of air services is expected to enhance cross-border trade, business cooperation, and tourism, contributing to the gradual improvement of bilateral relations.