India announced that direct air services with China will resume by the end of October 2025, marking the first such flights since 2020. The move is seen as a step towards normalising ties between New Delhi and Beijing. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that civil aviation authorities from both countries had held technical-level discussions earlier this year on resuming flights and finalising a revised Air Services Agreement.
MEA Confirms Flights to Resume With Winter Schedule
“Following these discussions, 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 decisions of designated carriers from the two countries and fulfilment of all operational criteria,” the MEA said. The ministry added that the resumption would “further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges.”
Historic Hiatus and Recent Thaw in Relations
Flights between the two countries were suspended in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Except for limited repatriation services, they never resumed, even after both sides lifted travel restrictions. Relations further deteriorated after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, pushing bilateral ties to their lowest point in decades.
In recent months, however, there have been signs of a tentative thaw. India resumed issuing visas to Chinese citizens last month, while China reopened access for Indian pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The restoration of direct air links is expected to ease travel for students, businesspeople, and families, who have had to rely on lengthy connecting routes for nearly five years.