The first nonstop commercial flight between India and mainland China since early 2020 departed Kolkata at 22:00 local time on 26 October, marking a watershed in the gradual thaw of bilateral relations. IndiGo flight 6E 1703 arrived in Guangzhou just after 04:00 the next morning, reinstating a daily corridor that had been suspended amid the pandemic and subsequent border tensions.
The resumption follows months of quiet diplomacy culminating in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s October visit to Beijing for a regional security summit. India’s civil-aviation ministry fast-tracked route approvals, while Chinese regulators reciprocated with expedited slot clearances. The restored link reduces journey times by up to five hours compared with transiting via Bangkok or Singapore.
Corporate travel managers in both countries welcome the development. Guangdong is a key hub for Indian pharmaceuticals, chemicals and textile buyers, and the daily narrow-body service adds 130 tonnes of weekly belly-hold cargo capacity—vital for e-commerce and time-sensitive shipments. For China-based firms, Kolkata offers a gateway to India’s booming eastern manufacturing belt and a convenient transit point to Dhaka via IndiGo’s domestic network.
Demand looks robust: airport officials in Kolkata reported “near-full” load factors on the inaugural flight. Fares are currently set at INR 19,999 (about US$240) one way, but yield pressure is likely as Chinese carriers re-enter the market. China Eastern will relaunch Shanghai–Delhi services on 9 November, and both Air India and China Southern have applied for slots in the first quarter of 2026.
Visa processing remains the wild card. India only reinstated tourist visas for Chinese nationals in July, and appointment backlogs persist at consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Likewise, Indian applicants still face lengthy waits for Chinese business-visa slots. Mobility teams should build extra lead-time into travel plans until the consular bottleneck eases.
The resumption follows months of quiet diplomacy culminating in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s October visit to Beijing for a regional security summit. India’s civil-aviation ministry fast-tracked route approvals, while Chinese regulators reciprocated with expedited slot clearances. The restored link reduces journey times by up to five hours compared with transiting via Bangkok or Singapore.
Corporate travel managers in both countries welcome the development. Guangdong is a key hub for Indian pharmaceuticals, chemicals and textile buyers, and the daily narrow-body service adds 130 tonnes of weekly belly-hold cargo capacity—vital for e-commerce and time-sensitive shipments. For China-based firms, Kolkata offers a gateway to India’s booming eastern manufacturing belt and a convenient transit point to Dhaka via IndiGo’s domestic network.
Demand looks robust: airport officials in Kolkata reported “near-full” load factors on the inaugural flight. Fares are currently set at INR 19,999 (about US$240) one way, but yield pressure is likely as Chinese carriers re-enter the market. China Eastern will relaunch Shanghai–Delhi services on 9 November, and both Air India and China Southern have applied for slots in the first quarter of 2026.
Visa processing remains the wild card. India only reinstated tourist visas for Chinese nationals in July, and appointment backlogs persist at consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Likewise, Indian applicants still face lengthy waits for Chinese business-visa slots. Mobility teams should build extra lead-time into travel plans until the consular bottleneck eases.
