India-China direct flight resumption under discussion, no date fixed

India, and China have begun talks to resume direct flights suspended since 2020; Indian official says no timeline set yet as key issues remain to be resolved

Civil aviation ministries of India and China have held an initial round of discussions regarding the resumption of direct air services between the two nations, news agency Reuters reported. However, no specific dates have been set for the restart. 

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam mentioned at an event that while the talks are underway, they had not yet reached a point where dates could be finalised. He added that some issues still need to be addressed. 

Last month, Chinese Consul General in Kolkata, Xu Wei said that the two countries are in constant talks to resume direct flights, five years after the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent border clashes halted them. 

 

“Before the pandemic, the two countries had launched direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kunming to New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other cities, with 50 flights per week. The two sides are currently working on resuming direct flights between the two countries as soon as possible,” Wei said at a press conference. 

The announcement was first made by India’s foreign ministry following top diplomat Vikram Mistri’s visit to China in January. In the statement released after Mistri’s visit, the foreign ministry said that both countries have agreed “in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries.”

 

Galwan valley clash

The violent clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, marked a historic low in India-China relations. The confrontation, which left 20 Indian soldiers dead, was the deadliest in 45 years. The clash involved brutal hand-to-hand combat, with no shots fired. China admitted to losing five personnel months later, but tensions persisted as military standoffs and diplomatic talks failed to fully resolve border disputes. 

In response to the clash, India took decisive measures, including banning 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat. The government cited concerns over data security and national sovereignty, claiming these apps transmitted sensitive information to foreign servers. Beijing reacted strongly, calling the ban discriminatory and threatening to approach the WTO for relief. Chinese officials also urged India to ensure fair treatment of Chinese businesses.  (With agency inputs)