Indian carrier restores China route after five-year hiatus

On Monday, Indian carrier IndiGo officially resumed its direct passenger flight between Delhi and Guangzhou after a hiatus of more than five years, further promoting ties between the two Asian nations. The daily flight is operated on IndiGo's Airbus A320neo aircraft.

IndiGo, India's preferred airline, completed a flight from Kolkata to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Oct 27, marking the resumption of direct passenger flights between the two countries, which had been suspended for the past five years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

IndiGo has become the first Indian airline to resume direct flights between China and India.

"Following the successful resumption of our Kolkata-Guangzhou route, we are very delighted to further expand IndiGo's presence in China with this new daily connection from Delhi," said Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo.

"This new route from the Indian capital and our largest domestic hub will strengthen travel options and encourage economic and cultural exchange between the two countries. It will also connect Guangzhou to IndiGo's vast domestic network of 90+ destinations, giving access across India to Chinese travelers," he said.

"We are thankful to both governments for their support in restoring these links, opening significant opportunities for trade, tourism, and collaboration," he said.