Overview

• China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed direct services will resume before the end of October and welcomed the step as an active measure to facilitate exchanges.
• India’s External Affairs Ministry announced on October 2 that designated-point flights can restart under the winter schedule subject to carriers’ commercial decisions and operational clearances.
• Civil aviation authorities from both countries held technical talks on resuming routes and on a revised Air Services Agreement, with operations contingent on regulatory approvals.
• IndiGo is reported to begin a daily Kolkata–Guangzhou service from October 26 and has explored a Delhi–Guangzhou route pending clearance, while Chinese carriers have not yet posted schedules.
• Direct flights were halted in early 2020 due to the pandemic and the suspension extended after the 2020 Galwan clash, pushing travelers to connect via third countries.