SRINAGAR: Direct air connectivity between India and China has officially resumed after a gap of more than five years on late Sunday.
Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, confirmed the development on Sunday, writing on X that “direct flights between China and India are now a reality.” The first flight departed from Kolkata to Guangzhou earlier in the day, while the Shanghai–New Delhi route is scheduled to begin on November 9, operating three times a week.
Direct flights between China and India are now a reality.
✈️ Kolkata → Guangzhou launches today.
Shanghai ↔ New Delhi starts Nov 9, flying 3 times a week. pic.twitter.com/rxa0ag4jFd
— Yu Jing (@ChinaSpox_India) October 26, 2025
Indian carrier IndiGo, which had earlier announced plans to relaunch services suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, is among the first to operate on these routes. In a October 2 statement, the airline said daily nonstop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou would commence from October 26, 2025, using Airbus A320neo aircraft. On October 11, it further confirmed that daily Delhi–Guangzhou flights would begin on November 10.
The resumption of flights is expected to boost trade, tourism, and business exchanges that had been severely affected by the suspension.
Flights between the two nations were halted in early 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic and the deadly Galwan Valley clash in June that year. Diplomatic and economic ties remained strained until October 2024, when both sides reached an understanding on new patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), viewed as a crucial step towards easing border tensions.
