India – China air links restored after 5 years; IndiGo and China Eastern Airlines take the lead

After more than five years of suspended air links, India and China restored direct passenger flights this month (after earlier talks of starting them in September 2025 and then October 2025). The move, announced after a series of technical-level discussions and diplomatic engagements between the two governments, marks a significant thaw in aviation and people-to-people connectivity between the two most populous countries and neighbours.

IndiGo launches flights to Guangzhou from Kolkata and Delhi

On October 26, 2025, IndiGo commenced daily, non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, becoming the first Indian carrier to reinstate direct connectivity between India and Mainland China. The flights on this route are being operated on IndiGo’s A320 aircraft. Here is the flight schedule.

Building on the start, IndiGo yesterday commenced daily, non-stop flights between Delhi and Guangzhou as well. The flights on this route will also be operated using IndiGo’s A320neo aircraft.

Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer at IndiGo, said,

Following the successful resumption of our Kolkata–Guangzhou flights, we are delighted to further expand IndiGo’s presence in China with this new daily connection from Delhi. This new route from the Indian Capital and our largest domestic hub, will strengthen travel options and encourage economic and cultural exchange between the two countries. It will also connect Guangzhou to IndiGo’s vast domestic network of 90+ destinations, giving access across India to Chinese travelers. We are thankful to both governments for their support in restoring these links, opening significant opportunities for trade, tourism, and collaboration. As we continue to expand internationally, we remain committed to building such strategic air corridors that foster deeper regional connectivity and unlock new avenues for growth.

Here is the schedule of the IndiGo flight between Delhi and Guangzhou.

China Eastern launches flights between Shanghai and Delhi.

China Eastern Airlines also resumed flights on its India route. The direct flights between Shanghai and Delhi commenced on November 9, 2025, operating three times weekly on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. China Eastern Airlines has already announced an increase in the frequency of its direct flights between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. Effective January 2, 2026, the airline will operate additional flights, increasing from the current three flights a week to five flights a week.

The flight from Delhi, MU564, will depart at 7:55 pm and arrive in Shanghai at 4:10 am the following day. Flight MU563 from Shanghai Pudong will depart at 12:50 PM and arrive at New Delhi at 5:45 pm local time. The flights will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, after the expanded schedule is operational. The flights will be operated by Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft, offering 17 lie-flat MINPRO business-class seats and 245 economy-class seats. The aircraft is also equipped with China Eastern’s in-flight Wi-Fi, enabling passengers to stay connected for business or personal use, thereby enhancing the overall travel experience on the China–India route.

The Shanghai–Delhi route is one of the most essential air corridors, linking Shanghai, China’s economic, financial, and trade hub and Delhi, India’s political, economic, and cultural centre. The increased frequency is expected to boost further bilateral exchanges in trade, tourism, education, culture, and technology.

In addition to the Shanghai–Delhi route, the airline plans to add other key routes soon, including Kunming–Kolkata and Shanghai Pudong–Mumbai, further expanding travel options for Indians.

With China Eastern’s Shanghai Pudong serving as a central international hub, travellers can enjoy seamless connections to major cities across mainland China and onward to destinations in North America, Japan, South Korea, and Europe.

Air India is currently awaiting the start of its links to Shanghai, as per some Air India representatives I spoke with at an industry event a few days ago.

Bottomline

India-China connectivity has been restored after a five-year hiatus, initially stalled due to the pandemic and subsequently due to frosty relations between the two nations. Now, IndiGo has launched flights to Guangzhou from both Kolkata and Delhi, and China Eastern Airlines has begun services from Shanghai to Delhi. Air India is also expected to follow suit in the coming weeks.

What do you think of the direct connectivity between the neighbours coming back online? Will this affect flights via Hong Kong and other SEA nations into China?

 

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