Kolkata : A private carrier resumed direct commercial passenger flights to China, connecting Kolkata to Guangzhou with daily nonstop flights, following recent diplomatic initiatives. IndiGo took off from the airport with 176 passengers, an official said.
Direct flights operated between the two countries until early 2020, when they were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The services remained halted amid the border row in eastern Ladakh. IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou shortly before 4:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. Thai time).
Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, shared the update on X: "Direct flights between China and India are now a reality." She added that the first flight departed today from Kolkata to Guangzhou, and the Shanghai-New Delhi route will begin operations on November 9 with three flights per week.
Guangzhou, in southern China, is well-known as an important global manufacturing and export logistics hub. The resumption of connectivity from India caters to the growing demand for passenger and cargo movement between India and China, unlocking new opportunities for trade, investment, and tourism.
Building on this expansion, IndiGo will also begin flights between Delhi and Guangzhou from 10 November 2025, further strengthening its presence in this important trade and travel corridor. IndiGo operated the inaugural flight from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI), Kolkata, to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China, carrying 176 passengers.
A brief ceremony at the airport included the lighting of a ceremonial lamp by a passenger, a gesture that airport officials said symbolised renewed ties and cooperation between the two countries. Dr. P. R. Beuria, airport director of NSCBI, said the revived route will do more than move people. "It will boost business, tourism, and cargo links between eastern India and southern China," he added. The Airports Authority of India called the resumption a "milestone" for the nation's aviation sector.