New Delhi/Beijing– Direct flights between India and China are set to resume by late October 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced Thursday, marking a significant step in the gradual normalization of ties between the two neighbors.
According to the MEA, civil aviation authorities from both countries have held technical-level talks since the start of the year on restoring direct services and revising the Air Services Agreement.
“Following these discussions, it has now been agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October 2025, in keeping with the winter season schedule, subject to commercial decision of the designated carriers from the two countries and fulfilment of all operational criteria,” the MEA said in a statement.
The ministry added that the move will strengthen people-to-people contact and contribute to the “gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges.”
The announcement comes after a series of high-level engagements in recent months. Last month in Tianjin, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed confidence-building measures, regional cooperation, and steps to reduce tensions along the border.
That meeting followed an agreement earlier this year on new patrolling protocols along the 3,500-km Line of Actual Control (LAC), easing a four-year standoff. “The two leaders noted with satisfaction the successful disengagement last year and the maintenance of peace and tranquility along the border areas since then,” the MEA said after their talks.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also visited India in September for Special Representatives-level discussions on the boundary issue. Meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Wang stressed Beijing’s commitment to building a stable relationship, stating, “History and reality prove once again that a healthy and stable China-India relationship serves the fundamental and long-term interests of both of our countries. It is also what developing countries all want to see.”
The resumption of flights follows other confidence-building measures, including the restoration of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025. Together, these steps point to a thaw in ties after years of strained relations. (Source: IANS)
