India, China direct flights resume after 5-year freeze

Direct flights between India and China have officially resumed after more than five years. The development was confirmed on Sunday by Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India. “Direct flights between China and India are now a reality,” Yu wrote on X.

The first flight took off today from Kolkata to Guangzhou. The Shanghai-New Delhi route will begin



operations on November 9, with three flights every week.

Earlier this month, IndiGo had announced it would be among the first airlines to restart services following the Covid-19 suspension. In its October 2 press release, the airline said it would start daily nonstop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26, 2025, using Airbus A320neo aircraft.