Direct flights between India and China have resumed as relations between the countries appear to be thawing.
IndiGo flight 6E 1703 from Kolkata landed in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Monday, carrying about 180 passengers.
Flights between the two countries were first suspended during the Covid pandemic in early 2020 and did not restart after a deadly clash in a disputed Himalayan border area escalated tensions.
However, the two countries have been steadily rebuilding relations, and last year they reached a landmark agreement on border patrols.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China in August for the first time in seven years and that same month, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited India.
The Indian government stated that the resumption of flights would facilitate people-to-people contact and aid in the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges.
India also resumed the issuance of visas for Chinese tourists.
At the Kolkata airport on Sunday evening, airline staff lit brass oil lamps to mark the resumption of direct flights as IndiGo passengers checked in.
A Chinese consular official noted it was a very important day for the India-China relationship. Passengers expressed optimism about improved logistics and transit times.
China Eastern Airlines will launch a flight connecting Shanghai and Delhi in November, further enhancing connectivity between the two countries.
