After 5-year gap, India, China to resume direct flight services on October 26
New Delhi (PTI): After a gap of five years, India and China will resume direct flight services later this month as part of efforts to rebuild their ties that came under severe strain following a border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) summit in China's Tianjin city.
Indian carrier IndiGo and China Eastern will be the first two airlines to resume direct flights between the two countries, people familiar with the development said.
IndiGo said it plans to operate daily flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou from October 26.
The flight services between the two sides were suspended following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. They were not restored in view of the over-four-year border face-off in eastern Ladakh, which ended in October last year.
"Since earlier this year, as part of the government's approach towards gradual normalisation of relations between India and China, the civil aviation authorities of the two countries have been engaged in technical-level discussions on resuming direct air services between the two countries and on a revised air services agreement," the MEA said.
It has now been agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October, in keeping with the winter-season schedule and subject to commercial decisions of the designated carriers from the two countries and the fulfilment of all operational criteria, it added.
"This agreement of the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges," the MEA said in a statement.
IndiGo said in a statement that it plans to operate daily flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou from October 26. "Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly," it said.
In a social media post, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said India and China will resume direct air services by the end of October.
"This follows continuous technical-level engagement between civil aviation authorities as part of broader efforts to normalise bilateral ties," it said.
"The move will greatly enhance air connectivity, support people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the strengthening of economic collaboration between the two countries," it added.
In his remarks at the meeting with Xi on August 31, Modi had said that direct flights are being resumed between the two countries.
India-China relations plunged to their lowest point since the 1962 war following the Galwan valley clashes in June 2020.
After a series of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides withdrew their troops from several friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
In October last year, the two sides firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points.
Days after the agreement was finalised, Modi and Xi held talks in Kazan and took a number of decisions to improve the ties.
In the last few months, the two sides have taken a series of measures to repair the ties, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
