After a four-year freeze triggered by the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, direct commercial flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou resumed Sunday night, marking a cautious thaw in India-China civil aviation ties.

An IndiGo A320 Neo aircraft departed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 10 pm with 176 passengers, restoring a key air link suspended since early 2020. The service had been halted first due to COVID-19 and later amid heightened tensions over the Ladakh border standoff. Advertisement

IndiGo has now launched daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, a move officials say follows “recent diplomatic initiatives” to normalise engagement between the two nations.

The relaunch was marked by a low-key ceremony at the Kolkata airport, where a ceremonial la

See Full Page