India-China direct flights unlikely to be resumed in near future: Report
Premium- Ever since coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan in late 2019 and spread across the world, the flight services between the two countries have been disrupted.
Unless Beijing modifies its policy of sudden cancellation of scheduled flights every time some passengers are tested positive for COVID on arrival in Chinese airports, direct passenger flight services between India and China are unlikely to resume in the near future.
Ever since coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan in late 2019 and spread across the world, the flight services between the two countries have been disrupted.
Due to this, hundreds of Indian students as well as families of Indians working in China and businessmen to travel back and forth are facing issues.
Despite Beijing recently lifted the visa ban after about three years, absence of direct flights has halted about 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine, have not been able to rejoin their colleges.
Following this, the flights through the third countries were exorbitantly expensive in view of the demand. In recent weeks, however, over 100 Indian students reportedly returned to China travelling through the third country routes, especially via Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Indians are advised to travel through Hong Kong which has daily connectivity from India in view of the unlikelihood of the resumption of flights. From there they can take a flight to Chinese cities, where they have to undergo a seven-day quarantine.
Currently, Indian passengers are currently travelling to China through Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar.
Even after the 20th Congress of the ruling Communist Party beginning here on October 16, China is not expected to change its Zero COVID policy.
China mostly cancelled flights to almost all countries in 2020 in recent months and started allowing limited flight services from some countries, including, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the South Asian region.
However, hese flights are subject to the clause that they will be cancelled for a designated period if any passenger in the incoming flight tests positive on arrival at the Chinese airports.
For several months India and China are in talks to resume the limited flight services, but the negotiations made little headway due to Beijing’s insistence on flight cancellations rule related to COVID passengers.
The airlines find it hard to comply with the rule as they are not the ones that conduct the COVID-19 tests which are mandatory for all passengers travelling to China.
The COVID tests are conducted at designated centres by the Chinese Embassy in India and also the “green code" to travel by flight is given by the Chinese mission without which passengers cannot board the flight.
Despite the airline has no role in the entire process, it has to bear the brunt of cancellations for several days if some passengers are tested positive on arrival. In view of this, direct flights between India and China are unlikely to resume unless Beijing scraps the rule as the talks were bogged down on this issue.
With PTI inputs.
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