India and China are moving a step closer to restoring pre-2020 connectivity, with direct flights between Delhi and Shanghai set to resume from January 2. The restart of the key air route is being seen as part of a broader effort to normalise people-to-people and business ties after years of diplomatic and travel disruptions.
Confirming the development, Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India, said that China Eastern Airlines will operate daily non-stop flights between Delhi and Shanghai beginning early next year. In addition, flights on the Kolkata–Kunming route will resume, while a new direct air link between Mumbai and Shanghai is also under consideration.
The announcement comes just months after India and China partially restored flight services in October, ending a suspension that had lasted for nearly five years following the COVID-19 pandemic and the military standoff along the Ladakh border in 2020.
While China Eastern Airlines will operate daily services on the Delhi–Shanghai route, Air India has also announced plans to resume non-stop flights between the two cities from February. Air India will operate the service four times a week using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
Direct air connectivity between India and mainland China had remained suspended since 2020, first due to the pandemic and later because of strained diplomatic relations. The gradual restoration of flight services is now being viewed as a positive signal for trade, tourism, education and business exchanges between the world’s two most populous nations.