India and China to Relaunch Direct Flights After Five-Year Hiatus
India and China have agreed to resume direct flights for the first time after more than five years of suspended air travel. This marks a slow but important step to restabilize the civil and economic ties that have suffered from the pandemic and border issues. The decision was made during a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin on Sunday.
The decision is likely to benefit both nations for travel and wider connectivity on either side of the border considering the muted people-to-people ties for the last five years.
A Meaningful but Meaningless Gesture
In a statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs noted that the strengthening of ties could be achieved through direct flights and visa facilitation:
‘The two leaders noted the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and the granting of tourist visas.’
Modi reinforced the point adding,
‘Our Special Representatives have reached an understanding on border management. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed, and direct flights between the two countries are also being started.’
While the announcement is a step forward, no specific timeline for the flights has been publicly available. The agreement is, however, a significant step in the resumption of civil relations which have been frozen since the events of 2020.
Then there were 0 flying to and from India and China.
Pre-Pandemic Air Connectivity
The connectivity between India and China in the air industry was flourishing. In December 2019, in excess of 500 direct passenger flights were flying between India and China, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Airlines like IndiGo and Air India were connecting the major cities of India to the buzzing cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
Thanks to the seamless network, traveling for business, education, tourism and medical purposes was made easier than before. A round-trip ticket for Delhi to Beijing took about six hours and cost between $350 and $550.
The connectivity was disrupted with the start of COVID-19 in the January of 2020 with the imposition of stringent travel restrictions by China. Relations worsened after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, where a deadly skirmish took place on the border of India and China. Thousands of troops continue to remain positioned on the border and there still remain suspended civil links and flights.
Currently, travelers are required to go through third party countries with locked borders such as Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore, which increases the cost and time of travel. The ticket in question, which is the fastest, ranges from 10.5 hours to $2600 and the cheapest ticket, which is offered by Vietjet, is utterly disappointing as it takes 22 hours and cost $500.
Resumption of Visas and Hand-in-Hand Travel
Other than the ease of borders, no other conclusive solutions was enough to tackle the slow erosion of relations. Visas, too, were necessary to travel between both countries.
Last month, India restored tourist visas for nationals from China for the first time since the issuance of such visas was suspended for the last five years. Applicants are now required to fill an online form, book an appointment, and appear in person at the visa centers located in Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou with the required documents and their passport.
In contrast, China has relaxed visa restrictions for Indians. There is no longer an online appointment requirement for short trips, the collection of biometric data has been simplified, and visa fees have been lowered.
Xu Feihong, China’s ambassador to India, issued an invitation via social media to Indian tourists, whom he referred to as “friends,” advising them to discover “an open, safe, vibrant and friendly China” and to visit. According to media sources, China issued over 35,000 visas to Indian visitors in the first 3 weeks of this spring alone and as of April 9, they have issued over 85,000 visas in the year to date.
This together with the resumption of direct flights simplifies the process of traveling for the purposes of cultural exchange, business, or tourism, which increases the potential for each country to strengthen their ties, which goes beyond simply diplomacy.
Economic and Business Implications
Indian and Chinese air traffic has rarely been dominated by leisure tourism, though the suspension of flights decreased business travel, education, and medical tourism.
Many Indian and Chinese companies started having to deal with meetings and supply chains through other countries as a result of the pandemic, such as Dubai or Singapore, which created more costs and delays. Sunny Sodhi, the managing director of FCM Travel India, explained,
“Visa regulations are not only a barrier to travel, the absence of direct flights between India and China also makes travel cumbersome and complicated.”
Mobility of students was also greatly impacted. Even during the pandemic, a number of Indian medical students studying China had a tough time coming back to the country or enrolling in other programs abroad. The direct flights that are set to restart could solve these problems and ease the process of travel as it would be much safer, faster, and cheaper.
The direct routes that are set to open could also greatly improve supply chains for companies, as well as improving ease of the participation in trade fairs and conferences. With the renewing of these routes, it would increase the confidence in investment and cooperation among countries.
Strategic Considerations: A Thaw in Bilateral Relations
Restoring the flights isn’t only for the sake of convenience. It involves more extensive political and strategic calculations as well.
Prior to 2019, tensions between India and China were stagnant since the IPC clash in the Galwan Valley. Both sides finally agreed to diplomatic discussions and implemented border management to prevent future skirmishes. Trust building steps such as the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the pilgrimage taken by Indians to Tibet, are also encouraging signs.
Geopolitical and regional elements are also part of the equation. The US, India, and China subsumed more strategic interactions after the US’s tariff increases on India exports, prompting the latter pair to deepen bilateral connections. Direct flights now fit into the broader soft-power approach as a means to increase regional interaction, combat strategic isolation, and bolster the economic and cultural interdependence of the region.
The Effects on Passengers
The resumption of flights has significant implications to the everyday passenger as it means more convenience, lower prices, and faster travel.
Indian travelers to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou used to go on lengthy connections to Southeast Asia. The price of a 6-hour flight tripled from its price before the pandemic and could take over 20 hours of travel time.
Students, business executives, and medical tourists have a lot to gain. Eased restrictions to China can reignite academic collaborations, cross-border internships, medical educations, and research partnerships that have been put on hold for over five years.
The Challenges Moving Forward
The resumption of direct flights of Positive-Impact Outcome would be welcomed. Still, this cannot be taken to mean that normalization of relations has been achieved.
Geological tensions remain unanswered. There are countless soldiers and active small battles along the dominion that cause danger.
Global Challenges: The relationship between India and China has to deal with the rest of the world and their commerce and security matters.
Public opinion: Conflicts and issues with the economy in the past may not allow for too much excitement for investors and tourists.
On top of that, additional logistical issues still need to be resolved.
On December 2019, direct passenger flights bridged business, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two neighboring countries for the first time.
The Scenario
This connectivity collapsed in 2020, initially due to COVID-19 restrictions and then because of escalating border disputes. The combination of health concerns and security tensions created a complete freeze in civil air traffic, forcing travelers to rely on third country hubs and significantly increasing costs and travel time.
The current resumption is thus not only a return to pre-pandemic operations, but also a strategic move to rebuild trust and cooperation.
Wider Regional Trade and Diplomatic Implications
The current resumption is thus not only a return to pre-pandemic operations, but also a strategic move to rebuild trust and cooperation.
Keeping in view the recent decision to open air travel, resuming flights between India and China can have ripple effects across South and East Asia.
Trade Facilitation: Direct flights eliminate time-consuming stopovers and streamline business travel, enhancing border-crossing commerce and easing coordination of complex supply chains.
Tourism Expansion: Reduced distance and time between major cities can stimulate leisure travel, boosting the tourism sector, airlines, accommodations, and the overall economy.
Cross-Border Educational Programs: Students, researchers, and institutions of learning can resume exchange and collaborative ventures.
Cultural Diplomacy: People-to-people ties, religious pilgrimages, and tourism foster greater understanding and mutual respect, helping to ease conflict.
While the decision is cautious, it sets the stage for gradual normalization. This may extend to wider economic and diplomatic relations.
Conclusion: A Step Forward, Not the Finish Line
Restoring air connectivity between India and China is another step gained from the previous frozen state of the bilateral ties and is of practical as well of symbolic importance between the two nations. It goes back to a commitment which had not been practiced in the past five years. It helps not only in rebuilding faith, but also in easing the dislodged trust for civil travel, economic and cultural exchange.
At the same, meticulous planning is necessary to maneuver the sandbagged issues of geopolitics, logistics, border agreements, and the like. Easing the strain on public perception while retaining a greater focus on the collaboration between regulatory bodies, travel intermediaries, and airlines is essential to aviation normalization.
Yet for the students, tourists and business people wanting to travel to China, now is the time we very gently re-engage after years of stagnation. It serves as a beacon, a testimony that something can done practically that is mutually beneficial, which as a first step can help foster better relations between the two.
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