Currently, there are no direct flights between India and China, despite being two economic giants and populous countries. The suspension of 539 direct passenger flights between the two countries that existed in December 2019 was due to the Covid-19 pandemic and border clashes in June 2020. China has been urging the resumption of direct air links, but India remains cautious about it due to strained diplomatic relations and the presence of thousands of troops on both sides.
Travelers between India and China have to rely on connecting flights through third countries like Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. This adds both time and cost to the journey. In 2019, a round-trip economy class ticket between New Delhi and Beijing typically cost between $350 to $550 and took about six hours. Now, with no direct flights available, the shortest flight duration between the two cities is 10.5 hours with fares around $1,280. The cheapest available flights take roughly 12 hours and cost $650.
China’s strict Covid-19 travel policies, including the ‘circuit-breaker’ rule, which suspended flights if passengers tested positive upon arrival, further complicated the resumption of direct flights. Although China has relaxed this rule, it has not yet led to the resumption of direct flights, according to experts. Additionally, visa restrictions are also a barrier for travelers. Chinese nationals applying for an Indian visa must submit their applications from their home country, which has led to challenges for travelers like Nuo Li, who faced complications when applying for an e-visa in London.
Before the pandemic, travel between India and China was relatively low, with most traffic consisting of business people, students, or medical tourists. Chinese travelers have a negative perception of India, while Indians do not feel welcome in China, according to research. Direct flights would help improve travel demand, but addressing negative perceptions and improving political relations between the two countries would have a more significant impact. Despite political tensions, changing policies, and the pandemic affecting travel, there continues to be demand for travel, with Chinese travelers conducting almost 24 million flight searches for India this year.
Many Chinese companies have stopped operations in India, leading to a decline in business travel demand between the two countries. The lack of direct flights and complexities around getting visa approvals impact the ability and ease of travel between India and China. However, this has resulted in Dubai emerging as a popular business hub for Indian travelers and Singapore for Chinese travelers. Easing visa processes between these countries have also played a role in this shift. Ultimately, improving political relations and addressing negative perceptions would have a more significant impact on travel demand between India and China.
