India and China will restart direct flights by October 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Civil aviation authorities from both countries have been discussing the resumption of flights and updating the Air Services Agreement since early this year.

Following these talks, it has been agreed that direct flights between selected cities in India and China can resume by late October, aligned with the winter schedule. This is subject to commercial decisions by airlines and meeting operational requirements, the MEA added.

Direct flights were stopped in early 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Since then, passengers have had to travel via third countries, increasing costs and travel time.

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