India, China’s resumption of air travel marks a key step in thawing ties between the Asian giants, frozen since deadly 2020 border clashes in the Himalayas.
India and China will resume direct passenger flights later this month, ending a five-year suspension that followed deadly clashes along their disputed Himalayan border, India’s foreign ministry announced Friday October 3, 2025.
The move marks a rare sign of easing tensions between the Asian neighbors, whose relations have been deeply strained since a violent confrontation in the Galwan Valley in 2020 left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead — the worst border clash between the two nations in more than four decades.
India’s largest budget airline, IndiGo, said it will re-launch services between Kolkata and Guangzhou on October 26, 2025, becoming the first carrier to reconnect the two countries since the suspension began.
“The resumption of direct flights will further facilitate people-to-people contact and contribute to the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
There have been no direct commercial flights since early 2020, when tensions over the ill-defined 3,440-kilometer (2,100-mile) frontier escalated sharply. But recent months have seen cautious diplomatic and military efforts to rebuild trust and reopen channels of engagement.
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Both sides have held multiple rounds of high-level talks aimed at reducing friction along the Line of Actual Control. In October last year, the two countries reached a new understanding on patrolling arrangements in disputed sectors, helping to stabilize conditions along parts of the border.
Signs of normalization have extended beyond security discussions. Beijing has allowed Indian pilgrims to visit sacred sites in Tibet, while New Delhi has resumed visa services for Chinese tourists and agreed to reopen limited cross-border trade through designated mountain passes.
The shift also coincides with India’s cooling ties with Washington amid President Donald Trump’s tariff measures, prompting Delhi to seek a more balanced regional stance.
In August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to China for the first time in seven years to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, where he met President Xi Jinping. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to “rebuild mutual trust and cooperation.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who visited Delhi earlier this year, urged both sides to act as “partners, not adversaries.” Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong later accused the United States of “bullying” other nations with punitive trade tariffs.
Analysts say the restoration of air links is a concrete step toward mending ties between the world’s two most populous countries — though deep mistrust and unresolved border disputes are likely to remain.
