Beijing-Delhi direct flight resumes after years of suspension

Direct air links between India and China continue to reopen in phases, with a Chinese carrier resuming its Beijing-Delhi service on Tuesday, signalling a steady return of connectivity after years of disruption.

The flight departed Beijing Capital International Airport at 3:12 pm and landed at Delhi’s IGI Airport around 8:35 pm, marking the second India route restored by Chinese airlines this month.

The Beijing-Delhi service will operate three times a week -- Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using an Airbus A330 aircraft. Economy fares are expected to start from 3,570 yuan (about USD 523).

The latest restart follows China Eastern Airlines resuming its Kunming-Kolkata direct flights on April 18. The airline said the route, with six weekly return services on Boeing 737 aircraft, is aimed at easing travel and boosting exchanges between the two countries. The move comes months after it revived the Shanghai-Delhi route in November 2025.

On the Indian side, IndiGo has also expanded its China network. It launched a daily non-stop Kolkata-Shanghai service on March 30, adding to earlier resumptions of flights to Guangzhou and new operations from Delhi. The airline is deploying A320neo aircraft on these routes, according to an official statement.

These developments follow the Centre’s confirmation last year that both countries had agreed to restore direct air services, which had remained suspended since the Covid-19 outbreak and the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Flight operations had been halted for over four years after the pandemic and the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, one of the deadliest confrontations in decades. While limited services resumed from October 2025, full restoration has been gradual.

The renewed flight activity comes amid broader efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise ties, with aviation emerging as a key indicator of cautious engagement between the two sides.