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India and China to Resume Direct Flights in Late October as IndiGo Sets Oct. 26 Launch

The move follows technical talks under a revised air services framework with operations contingent on carrier approvals.

FILE - An aircraft of India's budget airline IndiGo is serviced at Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, India, Sept. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
An IndiGo airlines passenger aircraft taxis on the tarmac at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai.
India, China to resume direct passenger flights by late October
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Overview

  • India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed direct services can restart by late October in line with the winter schedule, subject to airlines’ commercial decisions and all operational criteria.
  • IndiGo announced daily non-stop Kolkata–Guangzhou flights from October 26 using Airbus A320neo aircraft, with ticket sales opening Friday and a Delhi–Guangzhou route planned pending approvals.
  • Air India is reported to be preparing a Delhi–Shanghai restart by year-end, though the carrier has not issued a formal timetable.
  • Direct passenger flights were halted in March 2020 during the pandemic and remained suspended through years of border tensions, pushing travelers to connect via third-country hubs.
  • The restart follows months of technical-level talks between Indian and Chinese civil aviation authorities on restoring links and updating the Air Services Agreement to support people-to-people exchanges.