‘First fruit’ of Modi-Xi diplomacy: India-China direct flights resume after five years of suspension. All you need to know

Passengers on the first direct flight between India and China in five years touched down in Guangzhou early Monday (Oct 27), marking a cautious but significant step in restoring normalcy between the two Asian giants. IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata landed at Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport around 4 am local time, officially resuming nonstop air links that had been suspended for five years, since the 2020 Covid pandemic. Here's all you need to know.

India and China reap the 'first fruit' as relations thaw

India's civil aviation ministry called the vital resumption of direct flights between the two neighbours a boost to "people-to-people contact" and the "gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges".

Meanwhile, Chinese Deputy Consul General in Kolkata, Qin Yong, hailed the moment as a "very important day" for India-China relations. Speaking at a ceremony at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Qin said the flight’s resumption was "the first fruit" of recent meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.

" After five years of suspension, it is a very big improvement for the bilateral relations. We expected this for a long time, and it is very important for our bilateral relations." Airport Director Dr PR Beuria, who attended the event with officials from IndiGo and the Airports Authority of India, described the launch as a "great moment" that would strengthen Kolkata's role as an international hub in eastern India.

Why is it important?

The daily flight service resumption is expected to strengthen trade and tourism between the neighbours, who remain regional rivals despite recent diplomatic engagement. The thaw in tensions between India and China and the resumption of flights, as per Beuria, would boost business, tourism, and connectivity between the two nations.

The Airbus A320 carried 176 passengers to Guangzhou, many of them business travellers eager to reestablish links disrupted by the pandemic. IndiGo will operate daily flights on the Kolkata–Guangzhou route, while additional services connecting Delhi with Shanghai and Delhi with Guangzhou will start next month, on November 9th and November 10th, respectively.

The resumption of air connectivity, officials say, is a "first step" toward rebuilding trust and facilitating cross-border trade and tourism.

Why were India-China flights suspended?

Direct flights between India and China were halted in 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions took effect, followed by a deep freeze in relations after the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash that killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

While tensions persist along the 3,500-km border, both sides have recently signalled interest in easing frictions. This month, troops from both armies exchanged sweets on Diwali — a small but symbolic “gesture of goodwill”.