Budget Airline IndiGo to Restart Mainland China Flights

‍DALLAS — IndiGo (6E) has announced that it intends to resume flights between India and China later this month.

The low-cost carrier says it hopes to reintroduce services between Kolkata (CCU) and Guangzhou (CAN) on 26 October. The resumption of this service, however, is subject to obtaining approvals from aviation authorities in both countries. The route will be operated daily, with an Airbus A320neo aircraft.

This is not the first time that 6E has operated services between CCU and CAN. The airline did, in fact, operate this route before the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to it having to scrap a large number of its routes. Indigo is also looking to start up flights between Delhi (DEL) and CAN. This is also subject to receiving regulatory approvals.

“We are delighted to announce the resumption of daily, non-stop flights between India and mainland China. We are proud to be amongst the first to resume direct connectivity from two points in India.” Indigo’s CEO Pieter Elbers said.

Improved Connectivity

Civil Aviation Authorities in India and China have signed an agreement normalizing bilateral ties. As founding members of the BRICS bloc, the two nations require seamless connectivity, facilitating the convenient flow of goods and people. 

These flights will indeed help to enable improved connectivity between two of the world’s most populous countries and the world’s fastest-growing countries. Elbers said that 6E is also looking to introduce more direct services from India to China.

“With this very important step, we are looking at introducing more direct flights into China. As we take steady strides towards becoming a global aviation player, this is a significant move to strengthen our international network.” Elbers said.