China-India aviation market back in the spotlight as flights resumption beckons

Direct flights between India and mainland China may be allowed to resume soon, thanks to an agreement between their respective governments, although the market has changed dramatically since such flights were last operated five years ago.

India and China are the two most populous nations on the planet, but there were relatively few direct flights between them before the COVID-19 pandemic - even though interest had been picking up with the entry of IndiGo into this market.

The state of competition before these flights were suspended gives some insight into how airlines will respond when the market is reopened.

However, demand patterns are quite different now - the Chinese international market is weaker, whereas the Indian international market is much stronger. And some of the airlines are in very different growth phases now.