GUANGZHOU, China — In a move that underscores a gradual but steady thaw in bilateral relations, Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has launched its second direct flight route connecting India and mainland China just weeks after resuming air links between the two Asian giants for the first time in five years.
On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, IndiGo Flight 6E 1701 touched down in Guangzhou from Delhi, marking the airline’s newest non-stop service and reinforcing Guangzhou’s role as a critical aviation and economic hub in southern China. This follows the successful October 26 relaunch of its Kolkata–Guangzhou route—the first direct passenger flight between India and China since services were halted in early 2020 due to the pandemic and escalating border tensions.
“For us, this is not just about adding another route. It’s about reconnecting two nations that together represent one-third of the world’s population,” said Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, during a celebration ceremony at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.
The timing of these new flights is far from coincidental. They come amid a series of diplomatic overtures between New Delhi and Beijing, including the resumption of tourist visas, the reopening of the sacred Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in Tibet, and the easing of Chinese export restrictions on key industrial inputs like rare earth magnets and tunnel boring machines.
Elbers told the Global Times that demand has been overwhelming. “The Kolkata–Guangzhou flights have been at near 100% capacity almost every day. People were eagerly waiting—many had been routing through Hong Kong, Singapore, or the Middle East just to make the connection.”
IndiGo’s rapid expansion into China reflects not only pent-up travel demand but also growing economic interdependence. China has remained India’s largest trading partner for years, with bilateral trade reaching $138.478 billion in 2024—a 1.7% year-over-year increase despite geopolitical friction. Business travelers, students, and tourists alike are now benefiting from restored direct access.
China Eastern Airlines has also re-entered the fray, launching a Shanghai–Delhi service on November 10 carrying 248 passengers. The carrier plans to increase frequency and potentially revive the Kunming–Kolkata route and initiate a Shanghai–Mumbai connection in the coming months.
Still, experts caution against interpreting this momentum as a full-fledged rapprochement. The border dispute along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains unresolved, with lingering troop deployments and mutual distrust. Analysts describe the current diplomatic shifts as “tactical rather than strategic.”
“Both sides are testing the waters,” said Alka Acharya, honorary director of the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi. “Once basic connectivity is restored, progress may slow unless deeper political dialogues resume.”
Nonetheless, IndiGo sees long-term potential. Elbers hinted at future routes linking other major Indian cities—including Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad—with secondary Chinese hubs like Chengdu, Kunming, and Xiamen. “There’s room for a lot of flights and a lot of operators,” he said confidently.
With aviation acting as both a barometer and catalyst for bilateral ties, IndiGo’s twin routes may well symbolize more than just new itineraries—they could be the first threads in a broader reweaving of India-China relations.
