China Hails Resumption Of Direct Flights With India As Positive Step To Strengthen Bilateral Ties

China has described the resumption of direct flights with India after a five-year suspension as a positive step, saying it demonstrated that both countries are faithfully acting on understandings reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to strengthen bilateral ties.

Speaking at a media briefing, the first since the Chinese Foreign Ministry resumed its regular schedule following the eight-day national holidays, spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed that flights would resume by the end of October.

India had announced on 2 October that direct flights to China would resume from 26 October.

The move is the latest demonstration of how the two countries are faithfully acting on the important common understanding between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi at their Tianjin meeting on 31 August, Guo said in response to a question.

The spokesperson described it as a positive measure to facilitate friendly exchanges between the more than 2.8 billion people of China and India.

Direct flights between the nations were suspended in early 2020, initially due to COVID-19 disruptions.

The hiatus was extended following diplomatic tensions after the deadly 2020 Galwan clash along the contested border, which killed 20 Indian and many Chinese soldiers.

Since then, travellers were forced to route via third countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore or Bangkok.

IndiGo and China Eastern will be the first airlines to restart services, beginning with IndiGo’s daily Kolkata–Guangzhou flight from 26 October.

The airline also plans to introduce a Delhi–Guangzhou route after securing regulatory clearances. Chinese carriers, including Air China, are yet to announce their schedules.

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