Indian carrier IndiGo restarted daily non-stop service between Kolkata and Guangzhou on 27 October 2025, ending a five-year suspension triggered by the pandemic and bilateral flight caps. Travel trade associations are lobbying China Eastern Airlines to revive its Kolkata–Kunming sector and to run it daily instead of the pre-Covid five-weekly schedule.
The resumption is more than symbolic: eastern India’s electronics and apparel exporters rely on Guangzhou’s wholesale markets and logistics hubs, while Chinese component suppliers serve plants in West Bengal’s industrial corridor. Before 2020, up to 70 percent of travellers on the route were business passengers or freight forwarders accompanying high-value cargo.
Stakeholders believe the new link could quickly reach 80 percent load factors, aided by India’s 22 percent growth in exports to China this year and the easing of China’s visa-appointment quotas in New Delhi and Kolkata. Freight capacity will relieve congestion on Delhi and Mumbai routes, cutting transit times by 24–36 hours for components shipped to Shenzhen.
More broadly, the flight strengthens India’s “Look East” logistics strategy and dovetails with China’s interest in more balanced trade. Should negotiations succeed, additional services to Kunming and Chengdu could come online in 2026, giving corporates greater redundancy in their supply chains.
Travellers should note that China still requires a negative Covid-19 antigen test taken within 48 hours of departure, although talks are under way to drop the measure ahead of the 2026 spring travel peak.
The resumption is more than symbolic: eastern India’s electronics and apparel exporters rely on Guangzhou’s wholesale markets and logistics hubs, while Chinese component suppliers serve plants in West Bengal’s industrial corridor. Before 2020, up to 70 percent of travellers on the route were business passengers or freight forwarders accompanying high-value cargo.
Stakeholders believe the new link could quickly reach 80 percent load factors, aided by India’s 22 percent growth in exports to China this year and the easing of China’s visa-appointment quotas in New Delhi and Kolkata. Freight capacity will relieve congestion on Delhi and Mumbai routes, cutting transit times by 24–36 hours for components shipped to Shenzhen.
More broadly, the flight strengthens India’s “Look East” logistics strategy and dovetails with China’s interest in more balanced trade. Should negotiations succeed, additional services to Kunming and Chengdu could come online in 2026, giving corporates greater redundancy in their supply chains.
Travellers should note that China still requires a negative Covid-19 antigen test taken within 48 hours of departure, although talks are under way to drop the measure ahead of the 2026 spring travel peak.
