The flight, an Airbus A320 aircraft, took off from Kolkata at around 10 pm on Sunday (October 26) and landed at 3:49 am the following day in Guangzhou, according to state media The Global Times.
Many view this as a significant sign of thawing ties between the two Asian giants. The carrier will now operate the flight daily.
Indigo CEO Pieter Elbers said it opens doors for Chinese travellers and investors to explore the rich culture and growing markets of India.
“This strategic move will enhance bilateral ties, support MSMEs, and boost tourism, education, and healthcare in both countries,” he said in a release.
Direct flights were suspended in 2020 due to pandemic-induced restrictions and the border clash in Ladakh that strained ties between the two countries for nearly five years.
Resumption of direct flights as well as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in Tibet was long part of various levels of talks that took place this year.
Indian and Chinese troops faced each other in a major clash in Galwan Valley in Ladakh in June 2020 that left at least 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel, dead, according to the Indian Army.
Initial attempts at de-escalation took place shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting in the sidelines of BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia in October 2024.
Analysts and China watchers maintain that the clash has caused a trust deficit in China.
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