India and โChina to Resumeโค Direct Air โServices in Late October 2025
Direct โair connectivity between India and China is set to โคbe restored by late October 2025, coinciding with the start of the winter season flight schedule. This decision,announced by the Ministry of External Affairs,aimsโ to “further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China,contributing towards theโฃ gradual normalisation of bilateral โexchanges.”
The resumptionโ marks the end of a suspension that began in Marchโข 2020, initially โdue to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently prolonged byโข heightened tensions โalong โฃthe Line of Actual Control following the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. While โinternational flights to manny other destinations gradually resumed, services to China remained halted.
IndiGo has already announced โplans to operate daily flights betweenโ Guangzhou and Kolkata, with connections to New Delhi anticipated pending regulatory โapprovals. Ticket โฃsales for the kolkata-Guangzhou route will begin on October 3rd.Air India also expects to launch flights to shanghai before โthe end โขof the year.
The resumption of directโข flights is expected to benefit both tourism and trade. For over five years, travelers have been forced to rely on more expensive and time-consuming connecting flights throughโ hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore. โข Industry experts note that Chinaโข is a significant sourceโ of outbound tourism,and the restored air links are particularly welcome as India works toโข regainโ pre-COVID โinbound tourism levelsโฃ (previously 11.5 million, currently at 9.5 million).
While Indian carriers โฃhave moved forward with applications, ther โคhas been aโ delay in submissions fromโข Chinese airlines such asโ air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Shandong Airlines. Air China โreportedlyโค seeks โคpermission to โฃconnect โขBeijing with Delhi โขand Mumbai.
The aviation industry โoperates on aโ schedule divided into summer (starting the โlast Sunday in March) and winter (startingโ the lastโค Sunday in October) seasons,allowing airlines to plan and adjust flight offerings.