India, April 14 -- India and China have initiated discussions on restarting direct air services between the two countries with first round being concluded, according to civil aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam. Speaking at an Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) conference on aviation and tourism on Monday, Vualnam said that the talks are at a preliminary stage and no specific dates have been set for the resumption of flights. Some issues remain unresolved, and further discussions are expected, he said.

Direct flights between the two countries were halted following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the border clashes in 2020. Before the suspension, airlines operated dozens of direct flights per week connecting cities such as Beiji...