India and China will resume direct passenger flights in late October 2025, ending a five-year suspension that highlighted strained relations between the two Asian powers. The decision marks a significant step toward normalising ties between New Delhi and Beijing, which had soured over pandemic restrictions and border tensions.
The Indian Embassy in Beijing announced the development on October 2, 2025, via social media platform WeChat, noting that flights between designated cities will resume depending on commercial carriers’ schedules. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, confirmed it will restart services between Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26.
Direct flights were suspended in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak and later remained halted as the two countries engaged in prolonged standoffs along their disputed Himalayan border. Relations reached a low point after deadly clashes in June 2020, which left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.
The renewed connectivity follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s September visit to China, his first in seven years, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During the meeting, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping described India and China as “development partners, not rivals,” and agreed to strengthen economic ties amid global uncertainty.
The timing also reflects shifting global trade dynamics. US President Donald Trump recently raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent, citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. Washington has also pressured the European Union to adopt similar punitive measures on both India and China.
For both nations, restarting direct flights signals a willingness to set aside past disputes and focus on trade, tourism, and regional stability. The move highlights their shared interest in diversifying partnerships as global tariff wars intensify.
As flights resume, business leaders and travellers are expected to welcome the renewed connectivity, which could help boost commerce between Asia’s two largest economies.
