India and China have agreed to resume direct air services by late October 2025, marking a significant step toward normalising bilateral relations that had been strained since the 2020 border standoff and further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the ministry’s statement, technical-level talks between aviation officials from both sides had been on since earlier this year.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced this development following sustained technical-level discussions between civil aviation authorities and recent diplomatic engagements, including talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
India and China decided to resume direct aircraft flights by late October 2025, marking a significant step toward repairing bilateral relations that had been strained since the 2020 border dispute and subsequently hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry stated in its statement that since early this year, technical-level talks between the aviation authorities on both sides had been going on.
The announcement was made by the Ministry of External Affairs after extensive technical-level talks between civil aviation authorities and recent diplomatic meetings, including those between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
In a major move to mend bilateral ties that had been strained since the 2020 border conflict and later hindered by the COVID-19 epidemic, India and China agreed to restart direct aircraft flights by the end of October 2025.
According to the ministry’s statement, technical-level discussions between the aviation authorities on both sides have been ongoing since the beginning of the year.
The declaration was made by the Ministry of External Affairs after extensive technical-level talks between civil aviation authorities and recent political encounters, including those between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
In the midst of ongoing geopolitical and trade concerns, such as US-India trade negotiations and US tariffs, the restoration of direct air services is viewed as part of larger efforts by both governments to stabilize their relationship, restore confidence, and foster cooperation across multiple sectors. These flights are seen by analysts as pragmatic measures toward increased commercial and cultural exchange as well as eventual normalization between China and India.
IndiGo’s Kolkata-Guangzhou route will be the first to resume direct flights between India and China on October 26, 2025. Delhi-Guangzhou flights will follow shortly after. This agreement promises to strengthen business, tourist, and strategic cooperation between the two Asian giants and represents a cautious but significant thaw in bilateral ties.
