On 02 October, India’s Ministry of External Affairs approved the resumption of direct flights between India and China after a five-year hiatus. Shortly afterward, airline IndiGo announced daily flights between Guangzhou and Kolkata starting 26 October. Since the start of the year, the two countries have been working to normalise ties, with civil aviation authorities holding technical-level discussions and revising the Air Services Agreement. Direct flights had been suspended since March 2020 due to Covid-19 and heightened border tensions, forcing travellers, especially small traders, to rely on connecting flights via third countries, increasing time and costs.