Top Chinese cargo airline suspends flights to India

China's state-run Sichuan Airlines has suspended all its cargo flights to India for 15 days, causing major disruption to private traders' efforts to procure the much-needed oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies from China despite Beijing offering "support and assistance" to the country to deal with the latest surge of COVID-19 cases.

The airlines operated 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.

"China has been closely following the epidemic situation in India. We show our sincerest sympathies to the worsening situation in India," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here on Monday while answering several questions, including the suspension of cargo flights by Sichuan Airlines.

"We have stated that we are ready to help India fight the virus at the first opportunity available. Two sides are in communication regarding this," he said.

He, however, did not confirm a tweet by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka stating that China began to supply oxygen concentrators to India.

India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 1,73,13,163 while active cases have crossed the 28-lakh mark. The death toll increased to 1,95,123 with a record 2,812 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.