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China and India Restore Direct Flights, Marking Diplomatic Progress
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Published: October 21, 2024
BEIJING – After a five-year hiatus,โ direct air links between Chinaโ and India are set to resume, with China Eastern Airlines announcing theโค restart โคof flights between Shanghai and Delhi on November 9th.This โคprogress signals a notable warming โฃin relations between the two โคAsian giants followingโ a period of diplomatic tension.
Flight Schedule and Availability
According to China Eastern Airlines’ website, the Shanghai-Delhi โroute โฃwill initially operateโ three times weekly, on Wednesdays, Saturdays,โค and โSundays. โ Tickets are currently โavailable for purchase through the airline’s online platform. china Eastern Airlines has not yet issued a formal statement in response to inquiries regarding the resumption of services.
Official Confirmation andโ context
The resumption of โcommercial flights was officially โฃannounced by India’s foreign ministry earlier this month. This โmove follows a recent high-level meeting between Indian Prime Minister โNarendra Modi and โChinese President xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit – Modi’sโข first visit to Chinaโฃ in over seven years.
SCO Summit โฃDiscussions
During the SCO summit, both leaders engaged in discussions focused on strengthening trade ties. Prime โMinister Modi also raised concerns regardingโฃ India’s growing trade deficit with China. Further details on โคthe summit can be found in this report from Channel NewsAsia.
Expandingโค Air Connectivity
China โEastern Airlines โฃis not the only carrier โre-establishing routes. India’sโข largest airline, IndiGo, has already announced daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has expressed its intention to encourage the opening of additional direct routes, including a potential connection โขbetweenโ Guangzhou and Delhi.
Background toโ the Suspension
Direct air links โbetween China and India were suspended inโฃ 2020 followingโ deadly clashes betweenโ troops along theirโค shared Himalayan border.These clashes โคled to a prolonged military standoff and a significant deterioration inโ bilateral โขrelations.
The resumption of flights represents a crucial step towards normalizing relations and fosteringโ greater economic cooperation between China and India.
Whileโ challenges remain,the re-establishment of air connectivity offers a positive sign for theโ future of โSino-indian relations.Theโค increased ease of travel is expected to facilitateโ trade,โค tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Route Summary
| Airline | Origin | Destination | Frequency | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Eastern Airlines | Shanghai | Delhi | 3 times/week | November 9, 2024 |
| IndiGo | Kolkata | Guangzhou | Daily | (Announced – Date unspecified) |
It’s a fascinating time for international relations, isn’t it?โข I’m genuinely curious to hear yoru thoughts on this โฃdevelopment. Do you think thisโฃ signals a lasting enhancement