Thu Oct 02 13:39:24 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

After nearly five years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions, direct flights between India and China are set to resume in late October 2025. The agreement, announced by the Ministry of External Affairs, is subject to commercial decisions by airlines and adherence to operational criteria. IndiGo has already announced daily flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, and Delhi and Guangzhou, starting October 26, 2025. The resumption aims to facilitate people-to-people contact and normalize bilateral relations, ending the reliance on costly and time-consuming connecting flights.

**News Article:**

**India and China to Resume Direct Flights After Five-Year Hiatus**

**NEW DELHI – October 2, 2025** – Direct flights between India and China are set to resume by late October 2025, marking an end to nearly five years of suspended air travel between the two nations. The announcement came today from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), signaling a thaw in relations strained by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions.

Direct flights were initially halted in March 2020 when India banned international travel due to the pandemic. While international travel gradually resumed through air bubble arrangements, direct routes between India and China remained closed, further complicated by border tensions following the Galwan Valley clash.

The MEA statement emphasized that the resumption is conditional upon commercial decisions by designated carriers from both countries and the fulfillment of all operational requirements. “This agreement of the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges,” the statement read.

IndiGo was quick to respond, announcing daily, non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, and Delhi and Guangzhou, commencing October 26, 2025, coinciding with the start of the winter schedule.

“We are delighted to announce the resumption of daily, non-stop flights between India and China,” said IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers. “This will strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.”

For years, travellers between India and China have been forced to rely on connecting flights through hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, leading to increased travel time and expenses. The resumption of direct flights is expected to significantly ease travel and boost economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

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