Overview

• India’s Ministry of External Affairs said direct services between designated points can restart in late October, aligned with the winter schedule and subject to airlines’ commercial choices and regulatory clearances.
• IndiGo announced daily non-stop Kolkata–Guangzhou flights from October 26 and indicated Delhi–Guangzhou would follow, pending approvals.
• Media reports citing aviation sources say Air India is preparing to relaunch Delhi–Shanghai before year-end, with timing and frequency contingent on clearances and final planning.
• Direct India–China passenger flights have been suspended since March 2020, first due to COVID-19 and then because of border tensions, forcing travelers onto longer third-country routings.
• The restart follows months of technical discussions on a revised Air Services Agreement and complements recent steps such as visa facilitation and the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage resumption.