China Southern announces India flight resumption after six-year hiatus ahead of Xi Jinping's BRICS visit

China Southern Airlines will resume regular passenger services on the Guangzhou-New Delhi route from September 21, ending a six-year suspension. The move comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India for the BRICS summit.

After a six-year suspension, China Southern Airlines has announced that it would resume regular passenger services on the Guangzhou-New Delhi route from September 21, Global Times reported.

The airline will operate more than 100 weekly flights across its eight round-trip routes in South Asia, the carrier said.

The announcement came ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India for the BRICS summit.

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China Southern Airlines will resume regular passenger services on the Guangzhou-New Delhi route starting September 21.

The resumption of flights follows a renewed effort to enhance air connectivity between India and China after previous suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions.

China Southern Airlines plans to operate over 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in South Asia.

Xi Jinping's visit is significant as it underscores the efforts to normalize India-China relations, which could enhance diplomatic ties and promote further air connectivity.

Air China resumed its Beijing-Delhi service, and China Eastern Airlines restarted its direct service between Kunming and Kolkata earlier this year.

Air connectivity between India-China

The development came amid a renewed effort for a direct air connectivity between India and China. In April, Air China resumed its Beijing-Delhi service, marking the second route to India to be restarted by Chinese carriers.

China Eastern Airlines had earlier resumed its direct service between Kunming and Kolkata on April 18.

Meanwhile, IndiGo on March 30 started a nonstop service between Kolkata and Shanghai. It later started another service from Delhi.

The developments came after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the resumption of direct flights between India and China. Direct air services between the two countries had been suspended following the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions after the Doklam and Galwan standoffs.

President Xi on route to Delhi

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Saturday for the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xinhua reported. Xi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi later today.

Xi's entourage includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xinhua further reported that the Chinese president is expected to advance proposals on Global South cooperation at the BRICS summit, much as he did during the SCO Summit in Bishkek.

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