‘Back in the Air’: IndiGo Restores Kolkata–Guangzhou Direct Flights, Reconnecting India and China After 5 Years

Monica Liu, who runs Beijing — a popular ‘Tangra-style’ Chinese restaurant in Kolkata’s Chinatown — could barely hide her excitement on Sunday night. For the first time in five years, she was boarding a direct flight from the city she calls home to Guangzhou, the hometown of her ancestors.

Liu was among 176 passengers on IndiGo’s reinstated Kolkata–Guangzhou flight, which has reopened a crucial air corridor between India and China after years of disruption — first due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and later because of strained diplomatic ties following the 2020 border clashes.

“For me, this feels like going home again,” Liu said. “Before the pandemic, I flew often between Kolkata and China to visit family. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

The Airbus A320 Neo took off from Kolkata at 10 p.m., marking the airline’s first direct service to mainland China since 2020. IndiGo is set to launch a Delhi–Guangzhou route on November 10, while China Eastern Airlines will resume its Shanghai–Delhi flights a day earlier.

Before the pandemic, over 40 weekly flights connected major Indian cities to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kunming — all of which were suspended in early 2020.

The revival of these routes comes after India reopened tourist visas for Chinese nationals and both countries agreed to restore air services during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing in January. The momentum gained further during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to China in August — his first in seven years — where he and President Xi Jinping emphasized cooperation over competition.

For many, the return of direct flights is a game-changer. Arjun Gupta, a New Town-based businessman who manages a restaurant and electronics unit in China, said it would save both time and money. “For years, I had to fly via Delhi or Bangkok — it was expensive and exhausting. Now, it’s a simple three-and-a-half-hour flight.”

Ahmedabad-based entrepreneur Pinal Gandhi even flew to Kolkata to be part of the inaugural journey. “This will make business travel much easier for me, especially as we expand operations in China,” he said.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers called the resumption a “vital step” toward strengthening bilateral ties. “This will once again enable seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas between two of the world’s largest economies,” he said. “We plan to expand our network with more direct routes to China soon.”

Before take-off, a brief ceremony was held at Kolkata airport, attended by airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria and senior IndiGo officials. Fittingly, it was Monica Liu who lit the ceremonial lamp — a symbolic gesture marking not just the flight’s return, but a rekindling of connections between India and China.