China Eastern to Restart Shanghai–Delhi Flights from 9th November as India-China Air Links Reopen After Pandemic Pause

Moneylife Digital Team 24 October 2025

Economy & Nation

After a gap of more than five years, direct air connectivity between India and China is set to resume, marking a major step toward restoring normal travel, business, and diplomatic ties between the two Asian neighbours. China Eastern Airlines announced that it will resume direct flights between Shanghai and Delhi, starting from 9 November 2025, operating three times a week using its Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

The airline, in a statement, says the move 'marks the full restoration of China Eastern Airlines' network in India, providing fresh momentum for people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade collaboration'. The resumption follows a gradual thaw in bilateral relations and months of discussions between aviation regulators from both sides.

The Shanghai–Delhi route will operate every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, offering passengers a direct link between two of Asia’s largest financial and cultural hubs. This marks the first direct commercial flight between the countries since early 2020, when air services were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the border tensions in eastern Ladakh.

China Eastern’s return is also symbolic of its longstanding presence in India. The airline first began Indian operations in 2002, becoming the first Chinese carrier to offer direct flights between the two nations. The new service restores a vital air bridge that had once supported robust business, tourism, and student exchanges before the disruptions of the past half-decade.

The resumption of direct flights is expected to significantly ease travel for passengers who have so far relied on indirect routes via Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Singapore. The restoration will also help facilitate smoother cargo movement, benefiting bilateral trade that has continued to expand despite diplomatic strains.

The announcement follows IndiGo’s confirmation that it will restart its Kolkata–Guangzhou route on 26 October 2025, effectively reopening air corridors between India and China. IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, had suspended all China-bound flights in early 2020 when pandemic restrictions were imposed.

In recent months, India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the civil aviation ministry have signalled a readiness to normalise people-to-people exchanges. Earlier this month, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that direct air services between the two countries would resume 'before the end of October', following technical-level discussions between the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) and China’s civil aviation administration (CAAC).

The decision is also expected to revive business travel between the two nations, particularly in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and education. China remains one of India’s largest trading partners, with bilateral trade crossing US$135bn (billion) in FY23-24, even though direct connectivity had remained suspended.

Tourism operators on both sides are optimistic that the resumption of flights will spur renewed interest in travel. Before 2020, nearly 900,000 passengers travelled between India and China annually. The revived routes to gradually recover pre-pandemic levels over the next year, particularly as visa processes ease and trade activity picks up.

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