A flight Photo: VCG

In response to the resumption of direct flights between India and China announced by India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed at a press conference on Thursday that China and India will restart direct flights before the end of October this year.

This is the latest embodiment of the two sides' earnest implementation of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries at their Tianjin meeting on August 31, and it is also a positive measure to facilitate friendly exchanges between the more than 2.8 billion people of China and India, Guo said.

China stands ready to work with India to view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, be friends enjoying good-neighborliness and partners helping each other succeed, and realize a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant so as to deliver more tangibly for the two peoples and make due contributions to upholding peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond, the spokesperson said. 

The remarks came as China and India announced the long-awaited resumption of direct passenger flights. 

Experts noted that closer people-to-people exchanges serve as a key driver of business ties, marking an important step forward in fostering friendly relations between the two nations.

During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's previous visit to India, the two sides reached a series of outcomes, including an agreement to resume direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India at the earliest opportunity and to finalize an updated air services agreement.

The Global Times has learned exclusively that Indian airline IndiGo will be the first operator to resume direct flights between China and India, launching a daily service from Kolkata, India to Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province on October 26, 2025, after a five-year suspension. 

The route will be operated with Airbus A320neo aircraft, departing Kolkata at 10:00 pm local time and arriving in Guangzhou at 4:05 am the following day, a representative of IndiGo told the Global Times on Thursday.

"This will once again allow seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas, while also strengthening bilateral ties between the two of the world's most populous countries and fast-growing economies. With this very important step, we are looking at introducing more direct flights into China. As we take steady strides toward becoming a global aviation player, this is a significant move to strengthen our international network," Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said in a statement to the Global Times.

After the Indian Embassy in China on October 2 confirmed the plan to resume direct flights between the two countries, noting that following the discussions of the civil aviation authorities of the two countries, it has now been agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October 2025, in keeping with the winter season schedule, subject to commercial decisions of the designated carriers from the two countries and fulfilment of all operational criteria.

The embassy made these remarks via its official WeChat account. The embassy also highlighted the agreement of the civil aviation authorities, which it said will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing to the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges.

Insiders said that before the pandemic, there were about 500 flights between China and India each month, with at least a dozen operating daily, covering major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Yunnan. Although the initial resumption involves only a limited number of flights, it represents an important signal that bilateral cooperation is returning to normal.

The resumption of direct flights between China and India may be a small step, but it carries symbolic significance as a positive signal of warming bilateral relations, said Liu Xiaoxue, an associate research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

"As more routes reopen, the two sides are expected to see new growth momentum in tourism, services trade, and people-to-people exchanges. Given the complexity of China-India relations, cooperation and competition are likely to coexist, and future progress will require patience, pragmatism, and strategic foresight," Liu told the Global Times on Thursday.

Liu noted that the most direct benefit of resuming direct flights lies in boosting tourism and services trade. He said that while China currently runs a significant trade surplus with India, more Chinese tourists are expected to visit India as flights resume, bringing notable gains to its tourism, hospitality, and transport sectors. 

Liu added that Chinese travelers, who previously favored destinations in Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea, are increasingly drawn to developing countries with unique cultural appeal, and India's rich heritage and diversity will likely become a major attraction.