China and India have finalised a schedule to resume direct flights , with the first trips set to restart later this month as both countries cautiously ease bilateral tensions amid increasingly turbulent geopolitical headwinds. AdvertisementThe flights will be subject to the approvals of the designated carriers based on commercial demand and “operational criteria”, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The resumption of direct flights would end a five-year suspension between the world’s two most populous countries. India and China initially agreed to resume direct flights in January and reaffirmed the decision in June, while India lifted restrictions on tourist visas for Chinese nationals earlier this year. AdvertisementThe ministry said the flights were expected to boost people-to-people exchanges and pave the way for a gradual normalisation of ties.