Direct flights have resumed between China and India after a five-year hiatus.

IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou shortly before 4:00am on Monday (20:00 GMT on Sunday), carrying about 180 passengers. The flight is the latest sign that the world’s two most populous nations are cautiously rebuilding relations after several years of diplomatic cooling.

India’s government said the resumption of flights will boost “people-to-people contact” and aid the “gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges”.

Flights between the neighbouring countries were suspended in early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to inflamed emotions. Deadly clashes along the shared Himalayan border have kept tensions high.

However, the reheating of relations comes

See Full Page