New Delhi: India and China have agreed to resume direct air services by the end of this month, following sustained discussions between the civil aviation authorities. The agreement was on Thursday announced by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, marking a major development after the recent ice-breaker meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

According to the ministry’s statement, technical-level talks between aviation officials from both sides had been on since earlier this year.

The discussions focused on restoring direct connectivity and finalising a revised Air Services Agreement.

Under the new arrangement, designated carriers from India and China will be permitted to operate direct

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