In a major breakthrough, India and China have agreed to restart direct passenger flights after more than five years, marking a fresh step towards normalizing bilateral relations.
The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.
This also marked PM Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, signaling renewed efforts to rebuild political and economic bridges between the two Asian giants.
India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, has expressed interest in resuming flights once regulatory clearances are complete. Air India is also preparing to restart its China operations. Before the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent border tensions in 2020, multiple Indian and Chinese airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern, operated regular routes.
Since the suspension of flights in 2020, passengers traveling between India and China have had to rely on transit hubs such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. With the restoration of tourist visas for Chinese nationals in July 2025 and direct flights back on track, both countries hope to strengthen people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and trade.
Diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing has seen an upswing in recent weeks, with both sides agreeing to enhance trade facilitation and investment opportunities.
Observers say the resumption of flights marks a “new chapter in connectivity” and could help stabilize ties after years of strain.
