Mumbai: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) allowed resumption of direct air services between India and China, after five years of suspending connectivity with the neighbouring country. IndiGo made an immediate first move to announce daily flights from Kolkata and Delhi to Guangzhou in Mainland China.
Air India is also planning to commence flights between both the countries before the end of this year. According to sources, the airline aims to commence flights from Delhi to Shanghai, connecting the capital cities of both the countries.
India suspended direct flight connectivity with China after the Covid-19 pandemic and were then extended due to the increasing tension between both the countries. However, the recent talks between prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit earlier in September.
The MEA made the highly anticipated announcement on Thursday by removing the restriction on air connectivity as it permitted resumption of air services from the commencement of winter schedule that starts in late October. The civil aviation authorities of both the countries were engaging in technical-level discussions on resuming direct air services between the two countries and on a revised air services agreement (ASA). However, this move is being seen as India's approach towards gradual normalisation of relations between both the countries.
“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 ministry said in a statement.
IndiGo was waiting for the announcement to be made and immediately released its plan to operate daily flights between both the countries. India's largest airline according to marketshare will operate daily direct flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou from October 26 and also announced to commence Delhi-Guangzhou daily flights soon. These routes would be operated by the airline through its narrowbody aircraft Airbus A320neo and the sale would start from Friday.
According to IndiGo, it operated flights between both countries before the pandemic and had many of the necessary arrangements and processes already in place. “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 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,” said Indigo's chief executive officer Pieter Elbers.
