India-China thaw: Direct Delhi-Beijing flights to resume after 6-year freeze
ndia and China are reconnecting, with Air China set to resume direct flights between New Delhi and Beijing, boosting trade and tourism after a six-year hiatus due to COVID-19 and border disputes
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The long-standing tension between India and China appears to be gradually easing. The distance between the two countries, created by the COVID-19 pandemic and border disputes, is now beginning to fade. In this context, significant and reassuring news has emerged. Direct flights between New Delhi and China's capital, Beijing, will soon resume. This is significant good news for travelers and businesspeople who have faced significant difficulties traveling to China for the past several years.
Air China to fly, boosting trade and tourism
Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, confirmed this important decision and shared important information. She said that these direct flights between New Delhi and Beijing will be operated by Air China. The Chinese Embassy described this move as not just the beginning of normal air travel, but a major and historic step towards restoring trade, tourism and mutual trust between the two countries. The spokesperson called it a "green signal" for strengthening people-to-people contacts and relations between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS countries.
Air services were completely stalled since 2020
It should be noted that in 2020, following the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent violent military confrontation at the Galwan Valley border, flight services between India and China were completely halted. During these six years, direct air travel between the two countries was completely halted. However, following recent diplomatic talks, the ice on relations between the two countries has begun to thaw. The direct and positive impact of this improving environment is now visible in the return of air connectivity to normalcy.
The journey to Shanghai and Guangzhou has already begun
Flights between India and various cities in China gradually began to return to normal in October-November last year. Last month, direct flights between Shanghai and Delhi, China, were resumed after a six-year hiatus. Following this, on February 1st, the first Air India flight arrived in New Delhi from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, carrying 230 passengers. Furthermore, Indian airline IndiGo has been successfully operating flights between Kolkata and Delhi via Guangzhou, China, since November last year. Meanwhile, China's airline China Eastern has also resumed services between Shanghai and Delhi.