In a statement released 17 November, Air India said it will restart non-stop New Delhi–Shanghai flights on 1 February 2026 and plans a Mumbai–Shanghai launch later in the year, subject to regulatory clearance. The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the SCO summit, where both sides agreed to “progressively normalise” post-pandemic connectivity.
Significance for mobility managers
• Restores a critical channel for 5,000-plus Indian expatriates in Shanghai’s IT and pharma clusters, cutting current travel times by up to eight hours.
• Enables Indian corporates to resume rotational staffing models suspended since early 2020, when direct flights were halted amid border tensions and COVID restrictions.
• Provides Chinese companies investing in India – particularly in EV supply chains – with faster access to headquarters.
![Air India Confirms Return to Mainland China Routes After Six-Year Hiatus]()
Capacity details
The planned 4x-weekly service will use Boeing 787-8s configured with 18 lie-flat Business and 238 Economy seats. Introductory fares start at INR 39,999 (≈US $480) round-trip. Interline agreements with China Eastern and Juneyao will give same-day onward connections to 20 mainland cities.
Policy backdrop
India and China resumed issuance of student and work visas in mid-2023, but the absence of direct flights limited uptake. The new service could accelerate the revival of two-way business travel, which remains 55 % below 2019 volumes, according to OAG data.
Significance for mobility managers
• Restores a critical channel for 5,000-plus Indian expatriates in Shanghai’s IT and pharma clusters, cutting current travel times by up to eight hours.
• Enables Indian corporates to resume rotational staffing models suspended since early 2020, when direct flights were halted amid border tensions and COVID restrictions.
• Provides Chinese companies investing in India – particularly in EV supply chains – with faster access to headquarters.
Capacity details
The planned 4x-weekly service will use Boeing 787-8s configured with 18 lie-flat Business and 238 Economy seats. Introductory fares start at INR 39,999 (≈US $480) round-trip. Interline agreements with China Eastern and Juneyao will give same-day onward connections to 20 mainland cities.
Policy backdrop
India and China resumed issuance of student and work visas in mid-2023, but the absence of direct flights limited uptake. The new service could accelerate the revival of two-way business travel, which remains 55 % below 2019 volumes, according to OAG data.
