Direct flights between India and China resume after five years, with flights departing from Kolkata Airport today.

Desk: Direct flights between India and China are resuming today. Indigo flight 6E1703 will depart Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for Guangzhou at 10 pm on October 26th. The Delhi-Guangzhou route will also commence on November 9th. This move marks the formal resumption of air connectivity between the two countries after five years. Tonight’s flight is not just a journey through the air, but also a sign of a new diplomatic beginning, where relations that were strained after the Galwan Valley incident are now back on track.

On August 31st, during his meeting with President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the resumption of direct flights was under consideration. Following this, India’s diplomatic journey has been transformed, with direct flights now headed towards China. Following the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, relations between the two countries reached their lowest point since the 1962 war. After several rounds of military and diplomatic talks, both sides withdrew troops from several disputed areas along the LAC.

Tensions between the two countries escalated significantly. In October 2023, an agreement was reached on the final disputed points, Depsang and Demchok. Shortly thereafter, the Modi-Xi talks in Kazan saw several decisions to improve relations. The process of normalizing relations in recent months included steps such as the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The resumption of direct flights is now considered a key component of this process.

Who will benefit from direct flights?
The resumption of India-China flights will provide relief to travelers, businessmen, and students. Business delegations will have a direct route. Indian students traveling to China will save time and money. Additionally, medical and religious pilgrimages (to Kailash Mansarovar) will be facilitated. This has raised hopes of a surge in imports and exports. The aviation sector anticipates that, given the positive response, flights from Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai to various cities in China may also resume in the coming months.