Delhi airport to resume China flights on Nov 10

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) has recorded a sharp 34 per cent year-on-year rise in East-West-East transit passengers, handling over 6.7 lakh travellers between September 2024 and August 2025, compared to 4.98 lakh in the previous year. Adding to this momentum, IndiGo will also launch passenger flights between India and China on November 10, reconnecting Delhi and Guangzhou after a gap of nearly five years.

Earlier, IndiGo had restarted its flights to Mainland China, beginning with a daily, non-stop service between Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26.

Meanwhile, the airport, operated by the GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has seen both East-to-West and West-to-East traffic rise by 34 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, as per IATA data. DIAL officials said this growth underscores Delhi’s growing role as a preferred global transit and transfer hub for passengers travelling between Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Air India remained the dominant carrier in this segment, contributing 67 per cent of East-West transfer traffic, followed by IndiGo with 25 per cent. Together, the two airlines handle over 90 per cent of Delhi’s total transit passengers. DIAL said it has been collaborating closely with both carriers to strengthen international hub operations and enhance transfer convenience for travellers.

“With its unmatched network spanning Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia, Delhi Airport continues to strengthen India’s position on the global aviation map. The sharp rise in East-West passenger flows reflects our growing role as a global transfer hub connecting continents. We remain committed to expanding connectivity and offering greater choice for international travellers,” said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of DIAL.

The Delhi airport currently connects to over 72 international destinations and has emerged as the leading Indian gateway to both the East and the West. The new Delhi-Guangzhou service by IndiGo will be complemented by several other upcoming international expansions from the airport in the next few months.

Air India will increase its Delhi-Kuala Lumpur and Delhi-Denpasar (Bali) flights from seven to 10 weekly from November 16 and December 1, respectively, while IndiGo will begin daily services to Hanoi from December 20. These additions follow the launch of the Delhi-Krabi route on October 26, expanding leisure and business connectivity across Southeast Asia.

To the West, Delhi continues to dominate India-UK air traffic, commanding a 38 per cent national share with 63 weekly flights to London, Birmingham and Manchester. On November 15, IndiGo will begin its first long-haul international service, Delhi–Manchester, using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, expected to carry around 65,000 passengers annually.

Delhi also leads India’s connectivity to Japan, operating 28 weekly flights to Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports. From January 18, 2026, Japan Airlines will start a daily Delhi-Tokyo Narita service, making Delhi the only Indian city directly connected to both Tokyo airports.