Operation Sindoor: China-Pak nexus? India reconsiders civil aviation ties with Beijing

Following new intelligence reports suggesting Chinese military support to Pakistan during the May 2025 conflict, India is reevaluating plans to resume direct flights to China.

The Indian government is reevaluating plans to restart direct commercial flights to China after fresh intelligence inputs indicated possible Chinese military support to Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025, reports said.

The review follows an assessment by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CJWS), a think tank under the Ministry of Defence, which reportedly found that China may have assisted Pakistan in repositioning air defence systems and provided satellite-based intelligence during last month’s military standoff.

"The situation is under close review. A high-level task force has been formed to independently verify these claims," Moneycontrol quoted a senior official as saying. "If there is conclusive evidence of China's involvement in aiding Pakistan, the decision to resume flights will likely be indefinitely postponed."

The conflict, triggered by the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people, escalated into a full-blown confrontation involving airstrikes, missile fire, and drone incursions—the most intense in two decades. India blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack and has now widened its assessment of Beijing's role.

CJWS Director General Lt Gen (Retd) Ashok Kumar alleged that Chinese tactical inputs allowed Pakistan to reconfigure its radar coverage to anticipate Indian aerial movements. While the use of Chinese weaponry by Pakistan is well-documented, these fresh claims—if verified—point to a more direct logistical and intelligence partnership.

India's External Affairs and Civil Aviation ministries, as well as IndiGo and Air India, have not responded to email queries on the matter.

Direct flights between India and China have remained suspended since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fatal 2020 Galwan Valley clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were killed. In the aftermath, India cracked down on Chinese investments, banned dozens of mobile applications, and halted direct passenger air traffic—although cargo services continued.

Talks to restore civil aviation links had recently gained momentum, with discussions focusing on resuming routes between Indian metros and key Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu. The routes were also intended to facilitate the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lhasa Gonggar Airport, which China had agreed to reopen after a five-year gap.

Aviation analyst Lokesh Sharma said the implications of the intelligence reports may extend beyond the skies. "If the allegations are substantiated, India may undertake broader diplomatic and economic disengagement from China," he told Moneycontrol.

Air India, IndiGo, and Tibet Airlines were among the carriers in talks for restarting services. The next round of negotiations was scheduled for June, but officials now say that timeline is “uncertain” amid security concerns.

"The current priority is safeguarding national interest," said one official. "Every aviation-related move is now being weighed through a security lens."

In a parallel move reflecting heightened scrutiny of foreign involvement in Indian aviation, the government recently halted operations of Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi over security concerns.

Prior to the pandemic, over 500 direct flights connected Indian and Chinese cities every month. Chinese airlines accounted for a majority of those operations.