India, China Agree to Resume Direct Flights After Five-Year Suspension
India and China have reached an agreement in principle to restart direct air services, nearly five years after flights were suspended. The decision was announced during Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing, marking a significant step toward restoring diplomatic ties and travel links that were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions.
Before services were halted in early 2020, several airlines, including Air India, Air China, and China Southern Airlines, operated direct flights connecting major cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, and Shanghai. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, there were nine nonstop routes between India and mainland China in 2019. China Southern Airlines held the largest share of seat capacity at 31%, followed by China Eastern Airlines (27.4%) and Air China (16.8%). Other carriers included Air India (10.6%), Shandong Airlines (5.7%), IndiGo (5.2%), and RwandAir (3.3%).
However, the onset of the pandemic, coupled with a 2020 border clash, led to the indefinite suspension of all scheduled routes. Despite increasing demand for travel between the two nations, no direct flights have resumed as of 2024. Most passengers have been forced to rely on one-stop connections through major transit hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok.
On January 27, 2024, India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that discussions were underway to finalize air connectivity details. Talks have focused on enhancing people-to-people exchanges and expanding economic cooperation, both of which have been severely affected by the absence of direct flights. The ministry stated that technical authorities from both sides will meet to negotiate an updated framework, though no specific timeline has been provided for the resumption of services.
In 2019, the total origin and destination (O&D) traffic between India and China amounted to approximately 1.25 million two-way passengers, according to Sabre Market Intelligence. The busiest city pair was New Delhi-Shanghai, with about 149,000 passengers, followed by New Delhi-Guangzhou and Mumbai-Shanghai.
By contrast, 2024 preliminary data shows a significant drop in passenger traffic, with only 600,000 two-way passengers recorded. Mumbai-Shanghai has emerged as the busiest route, handling about 60,500 travelers last year.
The resumption of direct air services is expected to provide a major boost to business, tourism, and trade relations between the two countries. As demand for air travel continues to grow, the restoration of nonstop connectivity could help reduce travel costs and enhance convenience for passengers traveling between India and China.
While both governments have expressed commitment to restoring flights, finalizing technical, regulatory, and operational details will determine how quickly services resume. Travelers and industry stakeholders await further updates as negotiations progress.
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