Direct flights between India and mainland China resumed after nearly five years on Sunday. It is going to start with a scheduled service from Kolkata to Guangzhou departing October 26 at 10 pm, as per information shared by Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing on X. Air connectivity between the two countries has been suspended since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and followed by border tensions that strained diplomatic ties. The restart is viewed as part of a gradual normalisation of exchanges between world’s two most populous nations.
The officials expect that the resumption will boost people-to-people contact and support the broader effort to restore bilateral exchanges, AFP reported. The development comes at a time when New Delhi and Beijing have taken progressive measures to reduce friction following the border clash.
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
India-China’s reaction to the renewed access
While speaking at a recent press briefing on October 11, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned that commercial activity related to direct services had started, describing the development as part of a widening trend toward normalisation in the India-China bilateral relationship.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gua Jiakun, on Friday, termed the move as progress in “implementing important consensus” between both governments. It has also been seen as a practical measure to facilitate civil exchanges between more than 2.8 billion combined citizens, IANS reported.
Additional routes schedule for November
Along with the Kolkata-Guangzhou sector, IndiGo had earlier announced that daily direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou will commence from November 10, 2025, operated with Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline stated that restored connectivity presents opportunities for business travel, tourism, education and investment, as reported by ANI.
Later in November, a Delhi-Shanghai service was also set to start services whereas regular flights between India-Hong Kong were already running. More regional routes, including Delhi-Hanoi from December 20, have been added as the carrier expands its international connectivity.
Local community leaders in the city’s Tangra district told the news agency that they expect better connectivity for families, tourism and commerce.
