China takes U-turn! After repeated offer to assist India, China-run airline suspends flights to India

New Delhi, April 27: China's state-run Sichuan Airlines, which is the largest cargo flight operator from China to India, has suspended its services to India for 15 days because of the surge in Covid-19 cases.

 

 

This development might disrupt frantic efforts by Indian private companies to import medical supplies including oxygen concentrators to fight the pandemic from China. It should be also noted that this suspension comes despite Beijing’s repeated offers of "support and assistance" to India to fight the pandemic.

 

 

“We have stated that we are ready to help India fight the virus in the first opportunity available. (The) two sides are in communication regarding this. China has been following closely the epidemic situation in India. We show our sincerest sympathies to the worsening situation in India,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at the ministry briefing.

 

 

The airlines operates 10 flights on six routes to four India cities comprising Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. In a letter to the sales agents on Monday, the Sichuan Chuanhang Logistics Co. Ltd, part of the Sichuan Airlines said the airline has suspended its cargo flights on all six routes - Xi’an-Delhi, Xi’an-Mumbai, Chengdu-Chennai, Chongqing-Chennai, Chengdu-Bangalore, and Chongqing-Delhi - for 15 days.

 

The airlines said “…in the face of sudden changes in the epidemic situation (in India), in order to reduce the number of imported cases, it is decided” to suspend the flights. However, it has now retracted its announcement to suspend the cargo flights to India taking crucial supplies like oxygen concentrators to India after it created controversy.

 

In a "U-Turn" within hours of the cancellation, it said that it was working out a new plan to resume the services as reported by the state media. A logistics arm under Sichuan Airlines said that it was discussing a new plan to resume cargo services to India, as the country has been going through a COVID-19 resurgence, state media reported late Monday night.

 

The sudden cancellation by Sichuan Airlines against the backdrop of China’s offer for assistance to India in COVID management caused embarrassment for the Chinese govt.

 

 

However, now the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not comment on the cancellation but in the evening, China’s Ambassador to New Delhi tweeted that China would encourage and guide Chinese companies to actively participate in the cooperation in facilitating various medical supplies for India. Chinese Foreign Ministry also tweeted its support if India tells of its specific needs.

 

 

The suspension of cargo flights was surprising as there was no crew change in India and the same crew flew the aircraft back.