India, China agrees to resume flights after almost 5 years – DW – 01/27/2025

India and China agreed on Monday to resume direct passenger flights between the two countries, after almost five years without direct connection.

Passenger flights between were initially interrupted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and did not resume due to the deterioration of relations between Beijing and New Delhi.

The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had entered into an agreement with China “in principle to use direct air services between the two countries”.

“The technical authorities relevant to the two parties will meet and negotiate a framework updated for this purpose on an early date,” he said.

Close to Beijing and New Delhi

About 500 monthly direct flights worked between China and India before the pandemic, according to Indian media, MoneyControl.

The tensions later roasted in 2020 after a deadly military confrontation at a disputed border in the Himalayas, which prompted India to officially reduce passenger flights to continental China, to prohibit many Chinese applications and limit Chinese investments in the country.

Although the services between India and Hong Kong finally resumed when the public health crisis has withdrawn, thefts to continental China did not do so.

But tensions have thawed in recent months thanks to high -level meetings between the governments of the two countries, which are founding members of the BRICS Bloc.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not specifically mention the agreement on the resumption of flights on Monday, but said in a statement that the two countries have worked to improve links since last year.

“The improvement and development of China-India relations are fully in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries,” said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

ZC / WMR (AFP, Reuters)