India, China likely to resume direct flights

India and China are in advanced negotiations on resuming direct flights and trade through selected border posts as part of efforts to normalise their relations after the end of the four-year military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

- Rezaul H Laskar and Neha LM Tripathi

There has also been “forward movement” on restrictions imposed by China on fertiliser exports to India, the people said on condition of anonymity. The latest indications of the thaw in bilateral relations come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on August 31

The resumption of direct flights and border trade - both suspended since 2020 - figured in several meetings held since Modi and President Xi Jinping met in the Russian city of Kazan on October 23, 2024, two days after an understanding to end the faceoff on the LAC, and decided to revive several mechanisms to normalise relations and address the border dispute.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar raised China's restrictions on fertiliser exports when he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing last month, the people said. At the time, Jaishankar said the two sides should build on “good progress” in normalising ties by avoiding “restrictive trade measures” and addressing issues related to the border.

The modalities for resuming direct flights, including the finalisation of an updated air services agreement, are yet to be completed, though Indian carriers have been asked by authorities to begin preparing to fly to China as early as next month, the people said. One option being considered is the resumption of flights without updating the air services agreement, they said.