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IndiaChina Direct Flights Restart as China Eastern Launches DelhiShanghai and IndiGo Adds DelhiGuangzhou

The reopening signals a cautious, tactical thaw focused on practical gains, with the LAC dispute still unresolved.

Overview

  • China Eastern begins DelhiShanghai services on November 9 operating on alternate days, with departures from Delhi at 8 pm and returns from Shanghai at 12:30 pm.
  • IndiGo starts daily DelhiGuangzhou flights on November 10 after inaugurating KolkataGuangzhou on October 26, with early flights reported full.
  • Travel firms report strong pent-up demand across leisure, business and MICE travel, and Air India is preparing to relaunch China routes before year-end.
  • Recent confidence-building steps include India resuming tourist visas for Chinese nationals, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and conditional permits for rare-earth magnet imports.
  • Commander-level talks have produced localized disengagements including at Depsang and Demchok, yet analysts describe the broader thaw as incremental and fragile due to the unresolved border.