India and China could restart direct passenger flights as early as next month, Bloomberg has reported, quoting people familiar with the talks. Flight services between the two countries have been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing travellers to transit through hubs like Hong Kong or Singapore.

Sources say the Indian government has asked domestic airlines to be ready to operate flights to China on short notice. An official announcement could come during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China at the end of August.

This move comes as New Delhi and Beijing try to improve their political ties after years of tension, particularly since the 2020 border clashes that killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin from August 31, where he may meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The development follows a period of strained relations between India and the United States. Recently, US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on India to 50 per cent as a penalty for purchasing Russian oil. Air India also announced on Monday that it would suspend its direct flights to Washington due to “operational factors,” though it will continue services to New York and San Francisco.

According to the report, Air India and IndiGo are among the carriers likely to restart services to Chinese cities. Talks on restoring air links had first begun in January this year but were interrupted by a fresh conflict between India and Pakistan, which halted progress.

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