NEW DELHI: China Eastern Airlines on Saturday announced the resumption of flights between Shanghai and Delhi from November 9. While both the top airlines in India, Air India and IndiGo, have recently announced the launch of operations between the countries, this is the first time an airline based in China has announced the resumption of operations.
An official release said China Eastern Airlines will operate flights thrice a week, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays with an Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft.
Flight MU563 will depart from Shanghai Pudong Airport at 12:50 pm and arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5:45 pm. In the return direction, MU564 will depart from Delhi at 7:55 pm and arrive in Shanghai Pudong at 4:10 am the following day.
The resumption of this route by China Eastern Airlines marks a comprehensive restart of the China-India routes, injecting new momentum into personnel exchanges and economic co-operation between the two countries, the release said. “The route connecting Shanghai and Delhi is one of the most strategically significant air corridors between the two countries. As the political, economic, and cultural centre of India, Delhi closely collaborates with China in various fields such as trade, technology, education, and tourism,” it said.
The convenient connections at China Eastern’s Pudong hub will enable easy travel between major cities in mainland China and India as well as connect to numerous international destinations in North America, Japan, South Korea, and Europe.
IndiGo will launch the first service between Kolkata and Guangzhou in Southern China from October 26 after a break of over 5.5 years, while it will resume operations between Delhi and Guangzhou from November 10. Air India is still finalising the launch dates between Delhi and Shanghai.