Restoring the Skies: India and China Gear Up for Direct Flights

India and China are preparing to resume direct passenger flights, potentially by next month, restoring a vital travel link severed during the pandemic. This move aligns with efforts to ease strained relations, as India recently relaxed visa rules for Chinese tourists. The announcement may coincide with the August 31 SCO summit in Tianjin, where leaders Modi and Xi could meet. While airlines are preparing for operations, challenges remain, as previous attempts to restart flights faltered amid diplomatic tensions, delaying a definitive timeline.

India and China are inching closer to resuming direct passenger flights, potentially as early as next month, according to sources cited in a report by Bloomberg. This development marks a significant step toward reestablishing air connectivity between the two most populous countries, a connection that has been severed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indian airlines have reportedly been urged to prepare for the resumption of services on short notice, with an official announcement possibly coinciding with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in late August.

Direct flights between India and China were halted during the pandemic, forcing travelers to opt for circuitous routes through transit hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore. The impending reopening of these routes comes at a time of evolving geopolitical dynamics. Notably, India’s relations with the United States have encountered friction following Washington's decision to double tariffs on Indian exports, a move tied to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.

Meanwhile, India and China themselves share a fraught history. Relations between the two nations deteriorated significantly after the 2020 border skirmishes in Ladakh, which resulted in the loss of 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops. However, there have been recent signs of thawing tensions. For instance, India has eased visa restrictions for Chinese tourists, signaling a potential warming of relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin on August 31, where he may meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This high-level diplomatic engagement could further influence the timeline and scope of the planned flight resumption.

Indian aviation authorities and major airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have been briefed on the potential restart of flights, but officials remain tight-lipped. While no specific timeline has been confirmed, sources caution that negotiations could still face hurdles, leaving the exact date of implementation uncertain.

Before the pandemic, Indian carriers such as Air India and IndiGo operated direct routes to China alongside Chinese airlines like Air China and China Southern. While plans are underway for Indian airlines to resume these services, the process has not been without its challenges. Earlier attempts to restart flights in January and June this year faltered due to lingering diplomatic tensions.

However, in the past two weeks, renewed progress has been made, with airlines receiving updates on the evolving situation. The resumption of flights is poised to provide much-needed relief to passengers and businesses that rely on this crucial corridor for travel and trade.

The reinstatement of direct air travel between India and China is not just a logistical milestone but also a symbolic one. It reflects a cautious yet hopeful effort to rebuild ties and foster collaboration between two nations with intertwined destinies. While uncertainties remain, the move signals a step toward normalcy in a post-pandemic world, offering new opportunities for diplomacy, tourism, and commerce.

As the SCO summit approaches, all eyes will be on the outcomes of this high-stakes meeting and the potential announcement of direct flight resumptions—a development eagerly awaited by travelers and stakeholders on both sides.