In a bid to further normalise the relations between the two countries, China will begin operating Delhi-Shanghai direct flights starting January 2, confirmed Spokesperson of Chinese Embassy to India, Yu Jing. Apart from this, flights on Kolkata-Kunming route will also resume, and a new direct connection between Mumbai and Shanghai is also under plan.
The Delhi-Shanghai flight service will be operated by China Eastern Airlines, which will be a daily non-stop travel. This comes after the two countries resumed flight services in October this year, after over five years of conflict that began with the Ladakh standoff in May 2020.
What did China say?
Sharing a post on X, the Chinese embassy spokesperson called the development a “good news” for both the countries.
“Good news for India–China travelers! Starting January 2, 2026, China Eastern Airlines will launch daily nonstop flights between Delhi and Shanghai. The Kolkata–Kunming route is set to return soon. A new direct connection between Mumbai and Shanghai is also in the works,” she said in the X post.
Last month, Air India announced that it will resume non-stop flight operations to China on its Delhi-Shanghai flight route from February 2026.
As per an official press release, the airline said it will operate the Delhi-Shanghai flight four times a week using its twin-aisle Boeing 787-8 aircraft, featuring 18 flat beds in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy Class.
“The resumption of our Delhi-Shanghai services is more than a route launch. It is a bridge between two great, ancient civilisations and modern economic powerhouses,” Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said.
India-China air travel
In October this year, Yu Jing had said that direct flights between India and mainland China resumed after nearly five years on Oct 26, with a scheduled service from Kolkata to Guangzhou departing at 10 pm.
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 being viewed as part of a gradual normalisation of exchanges between the world’s two most populous nations.