A carefully worded statement from the Ministry on Wednesday said the decision followed technical-level discussions between the civil aviation authorities of India and China on resuming direct air connectivity and revising the air services agreement.
Within hours of India’s Ministry of External Affairs announcing the resumption of direct flights between India and China from later this month, IndiGo said it will restart non-stop services on the Kolkata-Guangzhou route.
A carefully worded statement from the ministry on Wednesday stated that the decision was taken following technical-level discussions between the civil aviation authorities of the two countries on resuming direct air connectivity and revising the air services agreement.
“This agreement of the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges,” the MEA statement added.
Flights between the two countries have been suspended since early 2020, initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation was further exacerbated by the border standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Galwan Valley.
India has cautiously begun re-engaging with China following the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the SCO Summit in Tianjin on August 31. This has also sparked speculation of a trilateral alliance emerging between India, Russia, and China.
More Flights to China
Meanwhile, IndiGo said that, subject to regulatory approvals, it is also looking to introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly. IndiGo will use its Airbus A320neo aircraft to operate these services.
IndiGo operated flights between India and China before the pandemic and has many of the necessary arrangements and processes already in place. The airline said that its experience and familiarity with local partners will enable it to resume these flights swiftly.
Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo, said, “We are proud to be amongst the first to resume direct connectivity to China from two points in India. This will once again allow seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas, while also strengthening bilateral ties between 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.”
The flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou will open for sale from October 3, with operations commencing on October 26.