Politics
The restoration of direct air connectivity between India and China is gaining momentum, with China Southern Airlines set to launch daily direct passenger flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21
The restoration of direct air connectivity between India and China is gaining momentum, with China Southern Airlines set to launch daily direct passenger flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21. According to the Chinese airline, the flight from Guangzhou to New Delhi will depart daily at 3:35 p.m. local time and arrive in New Delhi at 7:00 p.m. The return flight from New Delhi will depart at 8:00 p.m. and arrive in Guangzhou at 4:15 a.m. the following day. The service will be operated using Boeing 737-8 aircraft.
The Guangzhou-New Delhi air link was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its restoration after nearly six years is being seen as a significant development in the resumption of air travel between the two countries.
Direct air connectivity between India and China has already begun to resume. Air India launched four weekly direct flights between New Delhi and Shanghai from February 1, 2026, while other air links between the two countries are also being restored in phases.
The launch of China Southern Airlines' daily Guangzhou-New Delhi service is expected to provide greater convenience for business travellers, tourists, students and people involved in commercial activities between the two countries. The restoration of direct flights is taking place against the backdrop of a gradual improvement in India-China relations. Following the border tensions in 2020, people-to-people contacts and air connectivity between the two countries were severely affected. However, after progress was made in 2024 to reduce border tensions, the bilateral relationship has shown cautious signs of improvement.
