China and India opened direct commercial air links, a move hailed by Beijing as a "big event" that would boost ties between the sometimes uneasy neighbors.
The China Eastern Airlines Airbus 340, carrying about 100 passengers, was seen off from Beijing's international airport by Chinese aviation officials and the Indian ambassador.
"It is a big event in the history of relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said later. "We hope that this airline can serve as a bond connecting the two people, a bond of friendship."
China's support of Pakistan and the presence of Tibetan exiles in India have been a source of tension between the two nations.
