At 03:50 IST on 26 October 2025, IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in Guangzhou, restoring non-stop air links between India and mainland China for the first time since February 2020. The resumption follows months of diplomatic thaw and comes just weeks after India reinstated tourist visas for Chinese nationals.
Daily Kolkata–Guangzhou services will be joined by Delhi–Guangzhou in November and are expected to be mirrored by Air India flights to Shanghai before year-end. For Indian exporters and sourcing teams who have relied on multi-stop routings via Bangkok or Dubai, the direct sector slashes transit times by up to six hours and reduces freight costs.
The restart is equally symbolic. During the pandemic and subsequent border tensions, bilateral seat capacity fell from 5,000 weekly to zero. Industry bodies such as FICCI and the China-India Business Council say restored connectivity is essential for reviving trade, which dipped to USD 95 billion in 2024 from a pre-Covid high of USD 115 billion.
Commercial implications extend to the life-sciences sector: Indian pharmaceutical executives can now perform plant inspections in China’s Guangdong hub within a three-day trip, improving compliance cycles. Student mobility, too, is set to rebound; over 23,000 Indian medical students were stranded when flights halted.
Travellers should watch evolving entry protocols. China still requires a customs health declaration, while India’s Bureau of Immigration has warned that e-Arrival Cards must be completed before re-entry. Airlines advise flexible fares as slot negotiations for additional city pairs continue.
Daily Kolkata–Guangzhou services will be joined by Delhi–Guangzhou in November and are expected to be mirrored by Air India flights to Shanghai before year-end. For Indian exporters and sourcing teams who have relied on multi-stop routings via Bangkok or Dubai, the direct sector slashes transit times by up to six hours and reduces freight costs.
The restart is equally symbolic. During the pandemic and subsequent border tensions, bilateral seat capacity fell from 5,000 weekly to zero. Industry bodies such as FICCI and the China-India Business Council say restored connectivity is essential for reviving trade, which dipped to USD 95 billion in 2024 from a pre-Covid high of USD 115 billion.
Commercial implications extend to the life-sciences sector: Indian pharmaceutical executives can now perform plant inspections in China’s Guangdong hub within a three-day trip, improving compliance cycles. Student mobility, too, is set to rebound; over 23,000 Indian medical students were stranded when flights halted.
Travellers should watch evolving entry protocols. China still requires a customs health declaration, while India’s Bureau of Immigration has warned that e-Arrival Cards must be completed before re-entry. Airlines advise flexible fares as slot negotiations for additional city pairs continue.
