Article by Viory
Tuesday marked a crucial milestone in China-India relations as Air China officially resumed direct passenger flights between Beijing and New Delhi after a nearly six-year suspension.
The Chinese Embassy in India characterised the resumption of Air China’s Beijing-Delhi route as ‘more than just travel’, viewing it as a significant step towards enhanced cooperation in trade, tourism, trust, and interpersonal relations between the two Asian powers.
This Air China flight represented the second China-India route reopened by a Chinese carrier this month, underscoring the ongoing recovery of bilateral exchanges. China Eastern Airlines resumed its Kunming-Kolkata route on April 18, following the relaunch of its Shanghai-Delhi service last November.
Chinese travellers have welcomed the return of direct connectivity.
“I think it’s a great thing that there are direct flights from Beijing to Delhi again, because economic development depends on transportation and communication,” stated Mr Wang from Beijing. “If I have the chance to visit India in the future, I would definitely choose a direct flight.”
Another prospective traveller, Mr Peng, expressed that indirect routes had previously discouraged him from visiting.
“When I checked flights before, they all required transfers, which felt quite inconvenient, so I gave up. Now that I’ve heard this news, I think I can finally make plans for the trip,” he shared.
Indian traveller Douglas expressed his excitement as well, “IDirect flight is very good. So we are very happy to come here. We had good experience, and we will be coming [to China] again.”
Indian carriers are also enhancing their services. IndiGo launched daily direct flights between Kolkata and Shanghai on March 29, after resuming routes linking Kolkata to Guangzhou and opening a Delhi–Guangzhou service.
The resumption follows bilateral agreements reached last year aimed at gradually restoring connectivity.
Industry experts anticipate that the direct link will significantly boost business travel and reduce layover times. Before the suspension, direct flights were vital for diplomats, students, and business professionals. With visa processes also easing, steady demand is expected for the route in the coming months.
Direct flights between China and India were suspended in early 2020 due to pandemic restrictions and severe border tensions.
Article by Viory
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