NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday said direct flights between India and China will resume by the end of October, following confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs that both countries had agreed to restart commercial services as part of efforts to ease strained ties since the 2020 border standoff.
IndiGo will launch daily flights from Delhi and Kolkata to Guangzhou on October 26, while Air India, which last flew to China in February 2020, plans to restart its Delhi–Shanghai service by year-end.
In a statement, the aviation ministry said, “India and China will resume direct air services by the end of October 2025, aligning with the winter schedule. This follows continuous technical-level engagement between civil aviation authorities as part of broader efforts to normalise bilateral ties.”
It added that the move would enhance air connectivity, support people-to-people exchanges and strengthen economic collaboration between the two countries.
IndiGo is targeting traders who source products from China for the Indian market with its Guangzhou flights, while Air India will focus on the business community and students by operating to Shanghai, a source said.
In its statement, IndiGo said that following recent diplomatic initiatives, services to mainland China would resume with daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou and Delhi and Guangzhou from October 26. The airline will use Airbus A320neo aircraft for operations.
“Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly... These flights will re-establish avenues for cross-border trade and strategic business partnerships and promote tourism between the two nations,” it said.
IndiGo added that it had operated flights between India and China before the pandemic and had many of the required arrangements in place. Its past experience and familiarity with local partners would allow a swift resumption of services, the airline said.
“The resumption of operations to Guangzhou represents a significant development in strengthening international connectivity from India and reinforcing our commitment to broadening our global footprint,” it said.
Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo, said, “We are delighted to announce the resumption of daily, non-stop flights between India and mainland China. We are proud to be amongst the first to resume direct connectivity to China from two points in India. This will once again allow seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas, while also strengthening bilateral ties between the two of the world’s most populous countries and fast-growing economies.”
“With this very important step, we are looking at introducing more direct flights into China. As we take steady strides towards becoming a global aviation player, this is a significant move to strengthen our international network,” he addeed.
Meanwhile, Air India sources said services between Delhi and Shanghai would resume before the year-end. “It will be a daily service and most probably it will be a Boeing 787 series aircraft. We are looking at five days a week. Regulatory approvals are coming through,” one source said, adding the aircraft could accommodate up to 250 passengers.
Another source said, “The last flight operated by Air India between Delhi and Shanghai was in February 2020. Due to the pandemic scare, operations were stopped.”
Indigo will open ticket sale between Kolkata and Guangzhou from Friday (Oct 3) on its website www.goIndiGo.in and the airline's mobile application.