The renewed diplomatic warmth between India and China is now visible in air travel as well. The country’s largest low-cost airline IndiGo on Saturday announced that it will resume direct flights from Delhi to Guangzhou, China. This service will start from November 10, 2025. After Kolkata, it is the second city to provide direct flights to China. Just a few days ago, IndiGo had announced that it would launch non-stop daily flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26.
IndiGo said it previously operated flights between India and China, but these were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said it already has all the necessary arrangements and local partners in place with China, making it easy to restart this connection. This new direct flight will allow passengers to reach China directly without any stopover. The company will soon release the full list of ticket prices and flight timings. IndiGo believes that this route will further strengthen trade and travel connectivity between the two countries.
How much will the fare be?
A direct flight from Delhi to Guangzhou, China will operate daily from November 10. This flight will depart from Delhi at 9:45 pm daily and reach Guangzhou at 4:50 am (local Chinese time). On searching on Skyscanner, we found out that the ticket price for this flight is ₹15,917.
Air India will also start service
According to sources, Air India may also start direct flights to China by the end of the year. This will further increase the options for travelers and strengthen connectivity between the two countries.
Foreign Ministry statement
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that discussions have been going on between India and China to resume direct flights since the beginning of this year. Civil aviation officials of both the countries are discussing the matter at the technical level. It has now been decided that flights between the two countries can resume under the winter schedule from the end of October. The ministry says that this step will help in increasing contact between people and strengthening mutual relations.
Why were the flights postponed?
In fact, after the clash in Galwan Valley and the Covid-19 pandemic, direct flights between India and China were suspended. For the past five years, neither tourism nor business travel between the two countries has been as smooth as before. Now, the situation is changing. After recent diplomatic talks and reduction in border tensions, relations are returning to normal. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have taken place between the two countries, due to which the atmosphere is improving. Besides, easing of trade restrictions and high-level meetings have also helped in getting relations back on track.