India and China are in talks to resume direct flights between the two countries from May, ahead of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this summer, according to government officials.
Direct non-stop flights were suspended nearly five years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political tensions.
In January, both countries agreed to restart these flights and resume pilgrimage travel after five years.
Proposed Flight Routes
A government official told Moneycontrol that both governments are considering launching direct flights from Delhi, Lucknow, and Kolkata to Lhasa by May 2025. The final approval is expected by the end of March.
Officials are currently working on a bilateral agreement for flight operations, and discussions are ongoing with IndiGo, Air India, and Tibet Airlines regarding flights to Lhasa Gonggar Airport.
Future Flight Plans
Once the bilateral agreement is signed, airlines from both countries will be asked to schedule and plan their flights.
Additionally, discussions are ongoing about resuming flights from India to major Chinese cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Kunming.
However, flights to these destinations are expected to resume in the latter half of the year.
As of now, queries sent to the ministries of foreign affairs and civil aviation, as well as to IndiGo and Air India, have not received a response.
Agreement Between India and China
The decision to restart direct flights was made after India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing in January 2025.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that both countries had agreed “in principle” to resume direct air services.
Resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage
The statement also mentioned that China has approved the resumption of pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, a significant Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The pilgrimage was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Officials highlighted that May, June, and October are the busiest months for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims due to favorable weather.
Mount Kailash is located in Ngari Prefecture of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Before flight operations were halted in January 2020, India and China operated over 500 direct flights per month, mostly run by Chinese airlines such as Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern.
Military Disengagement Along LAC
After multiple rounds of negotiations in October, India and China agreed to disengage troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Vikram Misri announced the agreement on October 21, stating that it aimed to resolve issues that emerged in 2020.
On October 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping endorsed the agreement on troop disengagement and patrolling along the LAC during a bilateral meeting at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.
