Kolkata–Guangzhou flights return after five years as air ties with China restart

After a four-year freeze triggered by the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, direct commercial flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou resumed Sunday night, marking a cautious thaw in India-China civil aviation ties.

An IndiGo A320 Neo aircraft departed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 10 pm with 176 passengers, restoring a key air link suspended since early 2020. The service had been halted first due to COVID-19 and later amid heightened tensions over the Ladakh border standoff.

IndiGo has now launched daily non-stop flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, a move officials say follows “recent diplomatic initiatives” to normalise engagement between the two nations.

The relaunch was marked by a low-key ceremony at the Kolkata airport, where a ceremonial lamp was lit by a passenger — a symbolic gesture meant to reflect renewed cooperation between India and China.

Airport Director P R Beuria, along with representatives from the Airports Authority of India and IndiGo, attended the event. “The revival of this route will not only strengthen business and tourism ties but also provide greater convenience to passengers,” Beuria said.

Officials also noted that the resumed flight bolsters Kolkata’s role as a vital international aviation hub for eastern India — particularly as connectivity with major Asian cities rebounds post-pandemic.

Flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou were previously seen as an important economic and cultural corridor, especially for business travellers and students. With the route now active again, both governments are expected to closely monitor its uptake amid still-sensitive diplomatic relations.