Air India has announced that it will resume New Delhi–China flights starting February 2026, nearly six years after the route was suspended. The decision comes as recent diplomatic progress between India and China signals a cautious reopening of bilateral air connectivity.
The airline also confirmed plans to introduce a Mumbai–Shanghai route later next year, pending regulatory approval.
In its official statement, Air India said:
“The restoration of services to Shanghai follows recent India–China diplomatic agreements that have reopened air links that were paused in early 2020.”
Last month, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport also announced the revival of flight operations between the two nations.
This development aligns with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China earlier this year — his first in seven years — to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During the meeting, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that India and China are “development partners, not rivals,” and discussed ways to strengthen trade ties amid global economic uncertainty.
Additionally, budget carrier IndiGo resumed its Kolkata–Guangzhou service last month, further boosting connectivity between the two countries.
