Fri Oct 03 16:00:55 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
After a five-year hiatus, India and China have agreed to resume direct flights, starting October 26, 2025. The decision follows technical-level discussions aimed at normalizing relations. IndiGo will initiate daily Kolkata-Guangzhou services, with plans to add Delhi-Guangzhou flights pending regulatory approval. Several Chinese carriers will also connect New Delhi to major Chinese cities. Discussions are ongoing regarding the bilateral air service agreement, with Indian carriers seeking modernization. The current agreement allows each side access to six destinations and a maximum of 42 weekly flights.
**News Article:**
**India and China to Resume Direct Flights After Five-Year Hiatus**
**New Delhi, October 3, 2025** – In a move signaling improving relations, India and China will resume direct flights on October 26, 2025, after a five-year suspension. The announcement, made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday, follows ongoing technical discussions between the two countries aimed at a “gradual normalization of relations.”
The resumption of flights will coincide with the start of the winter schedule. IndiGo will be the first Indian carrier to reinstate services, launching daily flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou starting October 26. The airline also plans to add daily flights from New Delhi to Guangzhou, pending regulatory approvals.
Several Chinese airlines, including China Eastern, Air China, and Shandong Airlines, have received permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to operate passenger flights connecting New Delhi to Shanghai, Beijing, and Kunming, respectively. Additionally, China Southern and Sichuan Airlines have applied for permission to operate cargo flights between Guangzhou and Delhi, and Chengdu and Delhi.
Air India also intends to resume flights to Shanghai “before the end of the year,” and Akasa plans to launch flights to China too, officials said.
According to a senior government official, discussions are ongoing regarding the revision of the bilateral air service agreement between the two countries. The current agreement allows airlines from both sides to access six destinations with a maximum of 42 weekly flights. Indian carriers are reportedly seeking a “modernization” of the agreement.
The MEA stated that the resumption of flights is part of a broader strategy to improve relations between India and China. The move is expected to facilitate trade and tourism and strengthen cultural ties.
First Piper 