Direct flights between India and China resumed on Monday after a five-year suspension, marking a quiet but significant step toward restoring bilateral ties strained by pandemic disruptions and a deadly border clash in the Himalayas.

An IndiGo flight from Kolkata landed in Guangzhou with 180 passengers, inaugurating the airline’s first route to China. The departure ceremony featured traditional brass lamps, symbolizing a warm send-off. China Eastern Airlines is set to launch Shanghai-Delhi service in November, potentially easing travel for business and tourism amid $100 billion in annual trade.

Indian officials welcomed the development as a “facilitator for people-to-people contact,” aligning with the restart of visas for Chinese tourists and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August visit to Beijing—his first in seven years.

Flights were halted in March 2020 due to COVID-19, but tensions from the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which left 20 Indian soldiers dead and an undisclosed number of Chinese casualties, prolonged the freeze. A 2024 patrolling pact along the Line of Actual Control helped pave the way for renewed engagement, reinforced by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India earlier this year.

“This is a very important day for India-China relations,” said Chinese consular official Qin Yong at Kolkata airport. Passengers like tech consultant Priya Singh praised the convenience: “No more 12-hour layovers—it’s a game-changer for trade.”

Despite the progress, challenges remain. Both sides continue to build up border infrastructure, and mutual trust is fragile. India remains wary of Chinese deployments in Ladakh, while activists urge caution against over-reliance on Beijing amid efforts to diversify supply chains.

Economists, including Swati Dhingra of the Reserve Bank of India, project the resumed flights could boost services trade by $25 billion. As Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a potential summit in 2026, the skies reflect a cautious optimism in a region long marked by strategic rivalry.