Direct flights between India and mainland China after a five-year gap; IndiGo announces daily Kolkata-Guangzhou service from October 26

Lack of direct flights led to high airfares and long travel times for those flying between India and China, as they had to take connecting flights from hub airports in Southeast Asia. According to industry insiders, airlines—Chinese as well as Indian—have been looking to restart direct flights, as there is high demand for travel between the two countries.

“Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly. IndiGo will use its Airbus A320neo aircraft to operate these flights that will re-establish avenues for cross-border trade and strategic business partnerships and promote tourism between the two nations,” the airline said. It added that the Kolkata-Guangzhou flights will open for sale on Friday (October 3).

“With this very important step, we are looking at introducing more direct flights into China. As we take steady strides towards becoming a global aviation player, this is a significant move to strengthen our international network,” said IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers.

Earlier on Thursday, the MEA said that it has now been agreed between the two countries that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October 2025, in keeping with the winter season schedule, subject to commercial decision of the designated carriers from the two countries and fulfilment of all operational criteria. The upcoming winter schedule is slated to start on October 26.

“Since earlier this year, as part of the Government’s approach towards gradual normalization of relations between India and China, the civil aviation authorities of the two countries have been engaged in technical-level discussions on resuming direct air services between the two countries and on a revised Air Services Agreement,” the MEA said in a statement.

The evident signs of a thaw in the India-China relationship—notably at a time when New Delhi’s relationship with Washington has hit a few roadblocks—had built the hope that normalisation of air connectivity between India and China is imminent. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi in August, the two countries said that they had agreed to resume direct flight connectivity “at the earliest”. They had also agreed on the facilitation of visas to tourists, businesses, media and other visitors in both directions

Resumption of direct flights and normalisation of visa issuances—demands China has been making over the past couple of years—had also come up in Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s discussions with Beijing during his China visit in January. At the time, the two countries had agreed “in principle” to resume direct flights. In the preceding months, the matter featured in talks between foreign and aviation ministers of the two countries.

Lack of direct air connectivity between India and mainland China, along with stringent visa restrictions, led to airlines from both countries losing out on potential passenger loads, and airlines operating from other Southeast Asian countries cashing in on the opportunity. Passenger traffic between India and China—currently solely through connecting hubs in South and Southeast Asia—is less than half of what it was in 2019.

All of it is being catered to by airlines from regions like Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. To be sure, the Hong Kong airport is not exactly considered a Chinese airport due to Hong Kong’s special autonomous status and a different visa regime than mainland China. It continues to be the leading connecting hub between India and mainland China.

The normalisation of air connectivity between India and China would likely be beneficial for airlines from both countries. However, Beijing appears to believe that Chinese carriers stand to gain more, as they held the dominant share of the direct flight market before the pandemic. This perception likely explains why China had been encouraging India to permit the re-establishment of direct air connectivity and normalise visa issuances for Chinese nationals.

Prior to the pandemic, specifically in December 2019, there were 539 scheduled direct flights per month between the two nations, offering a cumulative seat capacity of over 1.25 lakh. Of these, Indian carriers—IndiGo and Air India—accounted for 168 flights, or approximately 31 per cent. The remaining nearly 70 per cent of flights were operated by Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and Shandong Airlines.

Despite this historical dominance, aviation industry observers do not necessarily anticipate that Chinese carriers will maintain such a significant share once direct flight connectivity is re-established. A lot has changed within the Indian aviation sector since 2019. Air India, now privatised and well-capitalised, has ambitions for rapid growth, particularly in the international market. Similarly, IndiGo, India’s leading domestic carrier, is now more focused on expanding its international network.

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