China Eastern Airlines has reinstated its direct air link between mainland China and India after a five-year suspension, marking a significant step in the revival of cross-border connectivity between the two Asian giants.
On Sunday at 1:02 pm, flight MU563 departed from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Delhi with 248 passengers onboard, achieving a load factor of over 95%. The carrier becomes the first Chinese mainland-based airline in 2025 to restart passenger flights between China and India.
The Shanghai Pudong–Delhi route will be operated thrice weekly—on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays—using a wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft. China Eastern has indicated plans to scale up frequency based on market response and is also evaluating the resumption of the Kunming–Kolkata service and the launch of a new Shanghai–Mumbai route.
In a statement, the airline emphasised that the Shanghai–Delhi corridor serves as one of the most strategically significant air links between the two nations. “Connecting two major economic hubs, the route will further strengthen bilateral exchanges in trade, business, culture, and tourism,” a spokesperson said.
The development follows the recent resumption of IndiGo’s Delhi–Guangzhou connection on October 26. IndiGo confirmed that its first flight was fully booked, carrying a mix of leisure and business travelers. The Indian carrier has also announced the introduction of a second daily service between Delhi and Guangzhou starting this week, signaling a steady recovery in air connectivity between the two countries.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, the restoration of direct flights underscores the continued implementation of the “important common understandings” reached between the leaders of China and India. “China stands ready to work with India to advance bilateral relations on a sustained and steady trajectory, bringing tangible benefits to both nations,” he said.
Before the suspension of routes in 2020, air travel between China and India had been witnessing steady growth. Industry data shows that in 2019, two-way passenger volume exceeded 1.25 million, with nine direct routes operating at the time.
China has remained India’s largest trading partner for several years. As per data from the General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade reached USD 138.47 billion in 2024, marking a 1.7% year-on-year growth.
Industry observers believe that the reinstatement of direct air services by both Chinese and Indian carriers will not only boost people-to-people exchanges but also support trade, business travel, and MICE tourism recovery between the two countries.
With both nations representing a combined population of over 2.8 billion, the enhanced air connectivity is expected to play a pivotal role in driving regional economic cooperation and tourism flows in the post-pandemic era.
