India and China are poised to restart direct passenger flights as early as September, with an announcement expected around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at the end of August, according to sources.
The move marks a significant step in mending strained ties after years of diplomatic frost, beginning with the suspension of flights during the Covid-19 pandemic and deepened by the June 2020 Galwan Valley clashes that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops.
Before the suspension, carriers including Air India, IndiGo, Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern operated over a dozen weekly direct connections linking Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kunming with Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Since 2020, travellers have been forced to transit through hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore.
The Indian government has reportedly instructed domestic carriers to prepare for a quick rollout. IndiGo has already been asked to make arrangements, sources told Hindustan Times.
Last month, India reinstated tourist visas for Chinese nationals, signalling a thaw in relations. The flight resumption plan has been in discussion since January, when Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to boost people-to-people exchanges and revive the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
PM Modi’s visit to China—his first in seven years—is scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in Tianjin. Beijing has welcomed the visit, with foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressing confidence in “greater solidarity, coordination, and productiveness” within the SCO. A bilateral meeting between Modi and President Xi Jinping is also being explored.
The diplomatic momentum comes as both India and China face trade friction with Washington. US President Donald Trump recently doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% over New Delhi’s continued oil purchases from Russia. Beijing has publicly backed India, with Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong calling Trump a “bully” and warning against yielding to US pressure.
China itself remains locked in a reciprocal tariff battle with the US, though Trump has postponed planned hikes on Chinese imports for 90 days.
If finalised, the resumption of direct flights would symbolise a cautious but notable warming in India-China ties, linking two of Asia’s largest economies after a four-year break in air connectivity.
