A private carrier resumed direct commercial passenger flights to China, connecting Kolkata to Guangzhou with daily nonstop flights, following recent diplomatic initiatives. IndiGo took off from the airport with 176 passengers, an official said.

Direct flights operated between the two countries until early 2020, when they were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The services remained halted amid the border row in eastern Ladakh. IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou shortly before 4:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. Thai time).

Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, shared the update on X: “Direct flights between China and India are now a reality.” She added that the first flight departed today from Kolkata to Guangzhou, and the

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