Direct flights between India and China have resumed after a five-year hiatus, with the inaugural IndiGo service from Kolkata to Guangzhou taking off on October 26, 2025. This marks the first non-stop air link between the two nations since the pandemic and subsequent border tensions led to the suspension of all direct services in early 2020.​

The resumption was celebrated at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport with a ceremonial lamp lighting, attended by passengers, airport officials, and airline representatives. The first flight carried 176 passengers and is set to operate daily, using Airbus A320neo aircraft.​

Chinese Deputy Consul General Qin Yong described the event as a “very important day” for bilateral relations, calling the flight resumption the “first fruit” of recent high-level consensus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. He stressed the importance of partnership over rivalry, highlighting both nations’ roles in BRICS, SCO, and the Global South.​

Airport Director Dr PR Beuria noted that the new route will boost business, tourism, and connectivity, reinforcing Kolkata’s status as a key international aviation hub in eastern India. Passengers welcomed the convenience, with business travellers highlighting the time and cost savings compared to previous indirect routes via Singapore or Bangkok.​

The Shanghai-New Delhi route is scheduled to begin operations on November 9, with three flights per week, while IndiGo will launch daily flights between Delhi and Guangzhou from November 10. Chinese airlines, including China Eastern, are also expected to resume services soon.​

Ticket prices for Kolkata-Guangzhou start at around ₹14,492, with Delhi-Shanghai fares between ₹18,000 and ₹20,000. The flight duration from Kolkata to Guangzhou is about 4 hours and 10 minutes, a significant improvement over the previous 10–12 hour layover routes.

RouteAirlineStart DateFrequencyAircraft
Kolkata-GuangzhouIndiGo26 Oct 2025DailyA320neo
Shanghai-New DelhiChina Eastern9 Nov 20253x WeeklyA320neo
Delhi-GuangzhouIndiGo10 Nov 2025DailyA320neo

The return of direct air links is seen as a major step towards restoring normal ties and enhancing people-to-people contact, trade, and tourism between India and China.

Based On ANI Report