NEW DELHI -- India on Sunday night resumed direct flights to the Chinese mainland after a five-year hiatus, Indian officials said.

The resumption was kick-started from the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, the capital city of India's eastern state of West Bengal, with a flight to Guangzhou, South China.

According to the Kolkata Airport authorities, 176 passengers were traveling on the 6E1703 flight launched by IndiGo.

"This (the direct flights) will once again allow seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas, while also strengthening bilateral ties between the two of the world's most populous countries and fast-growing economies," Pieter Elbers, chief executive officer of IndiGo, said in a press release earlier this month.

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The direct flights between India and the Chinese mainland were operational between the two countries until early 2020 before being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.