India and China are set to resume direct flights between selected cities after a gap of five years, with the external affairs ministry saying on Thursday that the move will contribute to the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations.

The resumption of direct air services – suspended since 2020 – figured in several meetings held after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in the Russian city of Kazan in October 2024, two days after an understanding to end the standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and decided to revive several mechanisms to normalise relations.

The civil aviation authorities of India and China were engaged in technical discussions on resuming direct flights and on a revised air services agreement since earlier this year, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. This was part of the government’s “approach towards gradual normalisation” of bilateral relations.

“Following these discussions, 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 decision of the designated carriers from the two countries and fulfilment of all operational criteria,” the statement said.

This agreement between the civil aviation authorities of the two countries will “further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges”, the statement said.

The civil aviation ministry said on social media that the resumption of air services will “greatly enhance air connectivity, support people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the strengthening of economic collaboration” between India and China.

People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that Indian carrier IndiGo and China Eastern are expected to be first two airlines to resume direct flights between the two sides. Direct flights was one of the main asks of the Chinese side in recent negotiations, with Beijing stressing this is needed to ramp up economic relations, the people said.

IndiGo said in a statement it planned to operate daily flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou from October 26, leading to the revival of aviation ties between the world’s second and fourth largest economies. “Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly,” it said.

The airline will use Airbus A320neo aircraft for these flights. IndiGo operated direct flights to China before the Covid-19 pandemic and has “many of the necessary arrangements and processes already in place”, the airline said.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers 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 strengthening bilateral ties between the two of the world’s most populous countries and fast-growing economies.”

Non-stop flights to China stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic and this continued after border skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops in April-May 2020 took bilateral ties to a six-decade low. Both sides arrayed close to 50,000 troops each in Ladakh sector of the LAC before an understanding was reached last October on disengagement of forces at the two remaining “friction points” of Demchok and Depsang.

Before this, Air India, IndiGo, Air China, China Southern and China Eastern operated direct flights.