A flight from India's Kolkata landed on Monday at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in south China's Guangdong Province, marking the official resumption of direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India following suspensions in 2020.
The resumption came following efforts by the foreign ministries and civil aviation departments of both China and India.
The flight operated by IndiGo, India's largest commercial airline, departed from Kolkata, the capital of India's eastern state of West Bengal, and arrived in Guangzhou around 04:00 Monday. The flight was fully booked, with most passengers traveling for leisure or business, driven by high demand to attend the Canton Fair.
Before suspensions due of the COVID-19 pandemic, direct flights carried more than 1.2 million passengers a year. Starting Monday, travelers no longer need to make long detours through hubs like Dubai, Thailand, or Singapore.
"It was definitely very convenient because it was a direct flight. So, it was much more relaxing that we could just directly come down here without a layover in between. So, we're looking forward to many more such opportunities," said Anuja Aniyan, a passenger from India.
"There have been many other options previously, like from Delhi-Guangzhou, there was a direct flight. So, China Southern used to fly. It's easier for both the countries, India and China, that the flight has resumed, because the trade will even get better from now," said Jaydeep Dhanuka, another passenger from India.
The resumption reduces travel time from 10 hours to under six. IndiGo announced the route resumption in early October, with daily direct flights from Delhi to Guangzhou set to resume in November too.
"It is very good because before we came with China Southern direct from New Delhi to Guangzhou. So, direct flight was not there, so it was a bit of a hassle, but now they are starting again, it is very good," said Tapan Gupta, an Indian passenger.
China Eastern Airlines will resume service from Shanghai to Delhi starting November 9 with three weekly flights.
The restoration of direct air links is expected to broaden opportunities across trade, investment, education, and tourism, building on the 138 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade recorded last year.
Direct flights resumed between Chinese mainland, India after 5 years hiatus
