India and China to resume direct air services by late October 2025: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that India and China will restart direct flights by late October 2025, after more than five years. This decision comes after talks aimed at normalising relations between the two countries amid improving bilateral ties.
India and China will restart direct air services by late October 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The agreement follows technical discussions between the aviation authorities of the two countries to normalise relations.
What did MEA say?
“It has now been agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October 2025, in keeping with the winter season schedule, subject to the commercial decision of the designated carriers from the two countries and fulfilment of all operational criteria,” the statement read.
The MEA said that since the beginning of this year, as part of the government's efforts to gradually normalise India-China relations, the civil aviation authorities of both nations have held technical discussions on resuming direct air services and negotiating a new Air Services Agreement.
The civil aviation authorities' agreement seeks to promote greater people-to-people contact between India and China, helping to gradually normalise bilateral exchanges.
The plan to resume direct air services between India and China comes amid tentative signs of improvement in their bilateral relationship. Relations hit their lowest point in June 2020 after deadly border clashes in Ladakh's Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where 20 Indian soldiers and a number of Chinese troops were killed.
PM Modi on resumption of direct air services
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that direct flights between India and China would be resumed during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“An agreement has been reached between our Special Representatives regarding border management. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has been resumed. Direct flights between the two countries are also being resumed," ANI quoted PM Modi as saying.
When were direct flights halted?
The flights will be restarted after more than five years as both India and China aim to rebuild political ties amid growing trade uncertainties across the globe.
In early 2020, direct commercial flights between the world's major economies were stopped as a precautionary measure for the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by escalating border tensions. Hence, travellers had to connect through regional hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore, or Bangkok, which added to both travel time and expenses.