China Southern announces resumption of flights to India after six-year hiatus ahead of Xi’s BRICS visit | Today’s news

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

The airline will operate more than 100 flights a week on its eight return routes in South Asia, the carrier said.

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

Air links between India and China

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

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

Meanwhile, IndiGo started non-stop service between Kolkata and Shanghai on March 30. Later she started another service from Delhi.

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

President Si on his way to Delhi

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

Xi is accompanied by Cai Qi, 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 member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xinhua further reported that the Chinese president is expected to present proposals for global cooperation to the South at the BRICS summit, just as he did during the SCO summit in Bishkek.