India-China Direct Flight: India and China connected again through the sky. Indigo’s first flight landed in Guangzhou, direct air service restored after 6 years.

News India Live, Digital Desk: A new and bigger ‘height’ has been seen today in the cold diplomatic and trade relations between India and China. On Tuesday, 28 April 2026, the flight of India’s largest airline IndiGo took off from Delhi and successfully reached Guangzhou, China. This is the first direct commercial passenger flight between India and China since 2020, indicating the official resumption of connectivity between the two countries. Direct flight on Delhi-Guangzhou route: A big relief to passengers Direct air service between the two countries was closed following the Corona pandemic and border tensions in 2020. Till now, passengers had to go via Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore, which cost not only time but also money. Expansion of IndiGo: Along with starting the service on the Delhi-Guangzhou route, IndiGo has also strengthened its hold on the Kolkata-Shanghai and Kolkata-Guangzhou routes. Return of Air China also: Along with IndiGo, Air China has also restarted its services between Beijing and Delhi, which will start in the week. It will operate for three days (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday). This historic resumption is believed to be the result of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin last year, a sign of melting ‘ice’ in relations. The improvement in bilateral relations and the consensus on the rules of patrolling on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have cleared the way for the reopening of this air corridor. The economic and tourism sector will get a new impetus. Good news for the business class: The start of direct flights from China’s business hubs (Guangzhou and Shanghai) will provide great convenience to Indian businessmen and tech-experts. Air India also in line: According to reports, Air India will also start its direct flight to Shanghai. There are plans to start flights soon, which will increase competition on this route and fares are expected to come down. What is the option now to go to China? Now passengers can book tickets directly from Delhi to Guangzhou and Beijing. Air China’s economy class fares start from around $523 (approximately ₹43,000). IndiGo has also offered the option of daily flights with competitive prices, which will promote ‘people-to-people contact’.