Five years on, India-China direct flights are still stuck on the tarmac

India and China have held initial discussions to restart direct passenger flight services between the two countries, according to the Indian government. No timeline has been confirmed for the resumption, as efforts continue to rebuild ties following the 2020 border clash in the Himalayas.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi, Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam said, “The civil aviation ministry and our counterpart in China have had one round of meetings.” He also stated that some issues are yet to be resolved, without disclosing further details.

The meeting follows a joint commitment made in January by both countries to work on resolving trade and economic concerns. The move is expected to support growth in the aviation sectors of both nations. China’s aviation recovery has been slower than other countries post-COVID, and resuming direct flights with India could help accelerate its rebound.


Passenger flight operations between India and China were suspended after the deadly June 2020 clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, which resulted in the death of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops. Since then, India has restricted Chinese investments, banned numerous Chinese apps, and halted direct passenger air services, though cargo operations remained active.

Bilateral relations have seen some improvement since October 2023, when both nations agreed to reduce tensions along the disputed Himalayan border. That same month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for talks in Russia.

with inputs from Reuters