Delhi: India and China will resume direct flights after a five-year hiatus, with the first service scheduled for October 26, 2025. IndiGo will operate flights connecting Kolkata with Guangzhou, with tickets available from October 3. Air India is expected to start services between India and Shanghai before year-end.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the resumption in a statement, noting that the timing aligns with the winter aviation schedule. The ministry said the restart would support travel between the two countries and help restore bilateral exchanges.
The restoration of air services comes after months of technical discussions between civil aviation authorities and a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.
Officials said expert-level talks between the two countries’ aviation teams have been ongoing since early 2025, focusing on re-establishing direct flights and finalising a revised Air Services Agreement.
The agreement allows approved carriers from both nations to operate between designated cities once all regulatory requirements are met and will take effect with the upcoming winter schedule.
The Ministry of External Affairs statement was followed by IndiGo announcing daily flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou, with plans to extend services to New Delhi once final approvals are secured.
Chinese carriers, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Shandong Airlines, are still completing regulatory procedures. Air China has reportedly applied for routes connecting Beijing with Delhi and Mumbai.
Direct flights between India and China were suspended in March 2020, when India closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although air travel with most countries resumed gradually, services to China remained suspended amid tensions along the Line of Actual Control, particularly after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
During the suspension, travellers relied on connecting flights via third countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore, resulting in longer journeys and higher costs.
Tourism and trade sectors have welcomed the announcement. Experts said China is a major source of tourists for India, and restarting air links comes as inbound tourism has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, which previously stood at 11.5 million visitors and currently remain around 9.5 million.
