Advertisement

Updated April 27th, 2021 at 11:14 IST

China's airline retracts suspension of cargo flights to India after promising COVID aid

China's Sichuan Airlines withdrew its decision to suspend cargo flights taking crucial supplies to India & said it is framing a new plan to resume the services

Reported by: Gloria Methri
AP/Twitter
Image credit: AP/Twitter | Image:self
Advertisement

China's state-run Sichuan Airlines on Monday withdrew its decision to suspend cargo flights taking crucial medical supplies to India and said that it is framing a new plan to resume the services. A logistics arm under Sichuan Airlines said it was discussing a new plan to resume cargo services to India, as it faces a COVID-19 resurgence, state-run Global Times reported.

The response comes as a u-turn by Sichuan Airlines, which announced on Monday that it is suspending all its cargo flights to India for 15 days. The move had caused 'major disruption' to private traders' efforts to buy medical supplies, including oxygen concentrators from China.

''We are re-evaluating the original plan of suspending cargo services to India, and actively discussing a new plan to guarantee cargo services to the region,'' the report quoted the airlines as saying.

In a letter to the sales agents on Monday, the Sichuan Chuanhang Logistics Co. Ltd said the airline has suspended its cargo flights on six routes, including Xian to Delhi, amid increasing efforts by private traders to supply oxygen concentrators to India.

''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 for the next 15 days,” the company said in a letter.

The Airlines operates about 11 cargo flights to different destinations in India. Sichuan Airlines usually has two regular flights from the Chinese mainland to India, but neither flight took on Monday.

China offers support to India

The suspension of cargo flights came as a surprise to the Indian officials as it came in the backdrop of official statements offering support and assistance to India.

Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong said his country ''firmly supports'' India in fighting COVID-19. ''We will encourage and guide Chinese companies to actively participate in the cooperation in facilitating various needed medical supplies for India,'' he had tweeted.

India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

Advertisement

Published April 27th, 2021 at 11:14 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo