Direct flights resume between China and India

Direct flights between China and India resumed today, the first between the two countries since the suspension during the COVID pandemic in early 2020.

The neighbouring countries clashed in a disputed Himalayan border area also in 2020, but Beijing and New Dehli have been steadily rebuilding relations.

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated that the move is a positive step towards facilitating friendly exchanges between the more than 2.8 billion people of the two nations.

Today's first flight was an IndiGo service from Kolkata to Guangzhou, carrying around 180 passengers.

According to travel data provider OAG, the two countries operated around 2,600 scheduled flights in 2019 before services were suspended.