After the COVID-19 pandemic, India-China direct flights have finally started. In August, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India for bilateral talks as the Indo-China relationship marked 75 years of their diplomatic ties. In recent geopolitical developments, both countries have come to a consensus to resume air connectivity.
The first flight is set to depart from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport, Kolkata, at 10 p.m. on 26 October and is scheduled to reach Guangzhou, China, at 04:05 a.m.
After the Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to India, IndiGo, a major player in the aviation space, issued an announcement. In which IndiGo mentioned that both countries have agreed to resume direct air travel between them.
In light of this, the company is going to start direct, regular, non-stop flights from India to mainland China. After the first direct flight will be from Kolkata to Guangzhou, they are planning on starting direct flights from Delhi to Guangzhou upon obtaining regulatory approval in the future.
Prior operational experience in China before the COVID-19 pandemic and familiarity with local partners will lead to a swift resumption of flights, which represents a significant development in strengthening international connectivity from India and reinforcing its commitment to broadening its global footprint, as mentioned in the announcement.
IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Elbers, stated, "We are delighted to announce the resumption of daily, non-stop flights between India and mainland China. We are proud to be amongst the first to resume direct connectivity to China from two points in India." He also added that the company is looking at introducing more direct flights into China in the near future.
Tickets went on sale on 3 October 2025 for the first direct non-stop flight to mainland China.
