India, China Likely to Resume Direct Flights After Five Years
After a five-year pause, India and China are likely to resume direct flights as early as next month. Air travel between the two countries has been suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing travellers to transit through hubs like Hong Kong or Singapore.
The development comes at a time when relations between India and the United States have reached a low point, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as a penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil. Meanwhile, both India and China are seeking to revive their diplomatic and economic engagement.
Indian authorities have instructed domestic airlines to be prepared to launch services to China at short notice. An official announcement regarding the resumption of flights could be made during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at the end of August, scheduled to be held in Tianjin, China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the summit and may meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the event.
Air India and IndiGo are reportedly the front-runners to operate these revived routes. Air India, while recently suspending its direct flights to Washington citing operational reasons, continues to operate flights to New York and San Francisco.
Ties between India and China soured significantly after the deadly border clashes in 2020, which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops. While political tensions remain, the restoration of direct flights is being viewed as a small but positive step towards rebuilding communication and connectivity between the two nations.
Negotiations on resuming flights had briefly begun in January 2025, but were interrupted when tensions between India and Pakistan disrupted regional air corridors once again. The latest push to restore flights is expected to benefit not just travellers but also businesses and academic institutions in both countries.
If implemented as planned, this move will mark the first direct India-China air services since the Covid-19 outbreak, symbolising a cautious reopening of one of Asia’s most important bilateral connections.
