Direct Delhi-Beijing flights are finally here: Here's what to know

Good news for tourists and business travellers alike! Southeast Asian airspace is about to get busier. After an unbearably long stalemate, direct flights between the capitals of India and its neighbour China (Delhi and Beijing) will resume operations. The resumption actually began back in October 2025, five years after services were halted – but it's only now that direct aviation between the two most populous nations has started to take off. 

IndiGo launches new direct routes

Indian airlines like IndiGo and Air India have been steadily expanding their operations in China for a while now. In the last week of March this year, IndiGo commenced daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Shanghai. The carrier had also launched another route – between Delhi and Guangzhou – on November 10, 2025.

Air China's strong Delhi start

This week, Air China took off from Beijing to Delhi, marking the Chinese carrier's second route to India this month. The flight will operate three times a week: on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Economy class fares are expected to start from 3,570 yuan (approximately ₹50,000). The flight departs Beijing at around 3.15 pm and arrives at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 8:20 pm IST. According to IndiGo, the Delhi–Guangzhou and Kolkata–Guangzhou routes are usually popular. This new route has the potential to shake that up.

China Eastern Airlines also launched a Kunming–Kolkata route!

China Eastern Airlines launched its direct service between Kunming and Kolkata on April 18, 2026. The route will operate six round-trips per week. This is the carrier's second route to India, after it resumed the Shanghai-Delhi route in November last year.