Direct Delhi-China flights from November 10 with IndiGo’s Delhi-Guangzhou route

NEW DELHI: Indo-China direct aerial connectivity is going to ramp up fast after an over five-year lull. IndiGo Saturday announced it will have a daily direct between Delhi and Guangzhou from November 10, shortly after the airline links Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26. Air India will fly to the country before the end of the year and many Chinese carriers will have India flights. IndiGo has been among the first airlines to reinstate flights between the two countries.IndiGo head of global sales Vinay Malhotra said: “We are pleased to enhance our connectivity to China with daily direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou, in addition to the recently resumed route from Kolkata. The resumption of operations between two of the world’s most populous nations presents immense potential for cultural exchange and economic collaboration. With this launch, IndiGo connects China to its vast domestic and growing international network, via Guangzhou. We are confident that this will contribute towards acceleration of opportunities in trade, investment, tourism, and even education, between the two countries, while reinforcing our commitment to connect India to the world.”In 2019, India and China had 539 direct flights operated by airlines including Air India, IndiGo, China Southern and China Eastern. In March 2020, international flights were halted during Covid. Since then travelling between India and China means doing so through a third country, mostly in Southeast Asia.The aviation ministry had said on X October 2 that direct flights between the two countries “follow continuous technical-level engagement between civil aviation authorities as part of broader efforts to normalise bilateral ties. The move will greatly enhance air connectivity, support people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the strengthening of economic collaboration between the two countries.”