Direct India–China Flights Resume in 2025, IndiGo to Guangzhou

(KOLKATA, INDIA) Direct flights between India and China will return after a five-year pause, with a daily IndiGo service from Kolkata to Guangzhou starting on October 26, 2025. The restart ends a suspension that began in early 2020 amid Covid-19 border controls and later hardened due to tensions following the June 2020 clashes. Airlines and officials completed technical talks through 2025, and a revised Air Services Agreement cleared the way for flights to resume on the winter schedule, subject to airline decisions and operational approvals.

The first step is clear: IndiGo will run a daily Kolkata–Guangzhou route from the start of the winter season. The carrier also plans a Delhi–Guangzhou link soon after. Air India is preparing to restore nonstop Delhi–Shanghai flights before the end of 2025. While exact launch dates for those additional routes will depend on readiness and market demand, officials say the aim is steady, phased growth once the first leg begins.

Before the shutdown, travelers relied on a dense network that saw more than 500 direct flights every month linking major Indian and Chinese cities. That network vanished almost overnight in early 2020. Since then, passengers have stitched together trips through third countries, adding cost, layovers, and uncertainty. With the return of direct flights, both governments signal a practical and symbolic move toward steadier ties.

Policy backdrop and route rollout

The restart follows a year of technical-level discussions and implementation work. According to officials involved in scheduling, flights will operate under the winter timetable, which airlines typically finalize with regulators before the season starts.

As with any international route, airlines must meet all safety, crew, slot, and ground-handling needs. India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, oversees scheduling and operational compliance on the Indian side. Authorities stress that the rollout remains a commercial call by each airline once requirements are met.

The broader policy setting matters. A revised Air Services Agreement and fresh confidence-building steps have nudged both sides to restore connectivity. Recent high-level contacts helped smooth remaining technical issues. The decision to begin with Kolkata–Guangzhou reflects operational readiness and demand on a city pair that connects eastern India’s manufacturing, medical care, and education hubs with China’s Pearl River Delta.

Airlines have announced the following plan:
– IndiGo: Daily Kolkata–Guangzhou from October 26, 2025; Delhi–Guangzhou to follow soon after subject to operational clearance.
– Air India: Nonstop Delhi–Shanghai expected before the end of 2025, timing to be confirmed.

Officials note that more routes could return in stages if demand holds and operations run smoothly. For now, the emphasis is on dependable service on the first legs rather than a rapid expansion.

Impact on travelers, students, and businesses

The return of India–China direct links will change travel math on day one. Nonstop service cuts total journey time and removes the risk of misconnecting through a third-country transit. It also tends to lower average fares over time as airlines add capacity and compete on major city pairs.

• Families with urgent travel, patients seeking treatment, and business teams juggling meetings across time zones will feel the difference most clearly.
• For students, the change is overdue. Many Indian students enrolled at Chinese universities have dealt with complex routings and shifting transit rules since 2020. Direct flights reduce that burden and help synchronize semester starts, visa appointments, and housing moves.
• Improved flight options should also aid university staff who travel to India for recruitment, alumni events, and joint programs.

Trade links stand to gain. Kolkata–Guangzhou ties into supply chains that move textiles, machinery parts, electronics, and chemicals. Faster travel enables more factory visits, quality checks, and service calls—especially for small and medium firms that count every hour and rupee.

• As Air India restores Delhi–Shanghai, boardrooms on both sides can plan visits without adding a full extra day for connections.
• According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, restoring nonstop capacity is likely to shift a meaningful share of traffic away from third-country hubs back onto the bilateral market.

While it will take time to reach pre-2020 levels, even a modest return can:
– ease seat shortages,
– moderate prices during festivals, admissions windows, and major trade shows,
– and reduce the need for transit visas and extra legs on many itineraries.

What travelers should watch for

Costs have been a sore point since the suspension. Indirect routes via Southeast Asia or the Middle East added extra legs, transit visas in some cases, and higher fares around peak periods. With nonstop options back, travelers should watch for:

• Opening fares on new routes, which can be competitive as airlines build load factors
• Seasonal shifts linked to the winter schedule and year-end holidays
• Advance-purchase windows that reward early bookings once schedules are firm

Operationally, winter brings specific demands: fog in North India, airside constraints at busy hubs, and crew rotations across long days. Airlines say the measured restart lets them monitor on-time performance and adjust schedules before adding more routes. For travelers, that means checking final timings close to departure and keeping contact details updated for any re-timings.

Important: Bookings for new routes tend to fill quickly once schedules appear in reservation systems. Those holding existing third-country itineraries may want to compare change fees against potential savings from a nonstop. If your trip involves onward rail or domestic flights, build a little buffer in the first week of operations to reduce stress if timings adjust.

Operational outlook and next steps

Airlines and airports will watch early loads, punctuality, and baggage performance closely. Good data in the first few weeks supports decisions on aircraft size, frequency, and timing. Positive results on the Kolkata–Guangzhou leg could:

1. Speed the launch of Delhi–Guangzhou
2. Accelerate Delhi–Shanghai
3. Open the door for other city pairs later

Officials on both sides point to a simple goal: reliable, safe service. That means meeting every operational requirement, from crew training to ground support and safety audits. The DGCA provides guidance for Indian carriers and coordinates with counterparts for international operations. As routes settle in, travelers can expect clearer schedules, steady frequencies, and more fare options.

Broader significance

The pandemic-era lesson was stark: when air links collapse, people pay — in time, money, and missed moments. Direct flights serve as daily proof that both sides can compartmentalize and manage practical links even as broader issues remain. Officials describe the resumption as a step toward normal routines: visas processed on regular timetables, baggage connecting on same-carrier tickets, and fewer surprises at transit points.

Before 2020, the India–China corridor handled steady flows of business, students, tourists, and family visitors. When those direct paths vanished, the human impact stretched well beyond delayed projects and missed meetings. People skipped weddings, parents met newborns months late, and students deferred classes.

The first IndiGo flight from Kolkata on October 26, 2025 won’t erase those years, but it will make future plans simpler and more affordable. For students planning the spring term, small exporters chasing orders, and families long split by extra stops and long nights in transit halls, that bridge can’t come soon enough.