In a major sign of improving relations between India and China, direct passenger flights between the two countries resumed on Sunday night after a gap of more than five years. The development marks a positive step in restoring normal ties between Asia’s two largest economies after years of border tensions and disrupted connectivity.
The first flight, IndiGo 1703, took off from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 9:53 p.m. on Sunday and landed in Guangzhou, southern China, after a three-and-a-half-hour journey. The flight’s departure was greeted with quiet optimism among passengers, airline staff, and officials who called it “a new beginning” in bilateral travel and trade links.
Low-cost carrier IndiGo, which operates under InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., has announced that it will also start direct flights between New Delhi and Guangzhou from November 10. Similarly, China Eastern Airlines will restart its Shanghai–Delhi service from November 9, restoring one of the busiest pre-pandemic routes in Asia. 
The resumption of flights comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in August on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China. During the meeting — Modi’s first visit to China in seven years — both leaders agreed to gradually normalise travel, trade, and cultural exchanges.
According to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, restarting air connectivity will not only boost tourism but also help small businesses, students, and healthcare-related travel. “Restoring this air link is a step forward in supporting bilateral relations. It will help connect people, promote trade, and encourage cooperation between both countries,” Elbers said in a statement.
