The Current State of Air Travel
For years, direct flights between India and mainland China were suspended, a situation stemming from the pandemic and subsequent geopolitical tensions. Travellers were forced into complex itineraries with long layovers in hubs like Hong Kong, Singapore,
or Dubai, adding significant time and cost to their journeys. However, 2025 marked a turning point with the gradual resumption of services. Airlines like IndiGo and China Eastern began reconnecting cities such as Kolkata with Guangzhou and Shanghai with Delhi, signalling a thaw in aviation ties. More recently, an article by the Chinese Ambassador to India confirmed that five direct flight routes have now resumed, part of a broader improvement in relations.
A Major Boost: The Delhi-Guangzhou Route
The most recent and significant addition to this restoration of services is China Southern Airlines' announcement of a daily non-stop flight between Delhi and Guangzhou, scheduled to begin on September 21, 2026. This marks the airline's return to the Indian market after a more than six-year absence. The daily service will be operated by a Boeing 737-8 aircraft, with flight CZ360 departing from Delhi in the evening and arriving in Guangzhou early the next morning. This new route is a major step in restoring full-scale connectivity and is expected to cater to the growing demand from both corporate and leisure travellers.
Why Guangzhou is a Game-Changer
Guangzhou's location and status make this route particularly strategic. As the main hub for China Southern Airlines, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) is one of China's busiest gateways. Its location in southern China's Pearl River Delta makes it a vital commercial and manufacturing hub, offering Indian business travellers easier access than more distant cities like Beijing. The resumption of this route is expected to significantly boost trade, tourism, and educational exchanges. For travellers, this means reduced travel times, often cutting a multi-layover journey down to a direct flight of around six hours.
New Gateways for Onward Travel
The benefits of the Delhi-Guangzhou route extend beyond just travel to China. As a major international hub, Guangzhou offers extensive onward connections across China, East Asia, Australia, and North America. For Indian flyers, this opens up new and potentially more competitive travel itineraries. China Southern Airlines offers a complimentary one-night hotel stay for eligible international transit passengers with layovers between 8 and 48 hours, making longer connections more comfortable and affordable. This transforms Guangzhou from just a destination into a viable transit point for global travel, competing with other major Asian hubs.
What this Means for Indian Flyers
The restoration of direct flights, highlighted by the new Delhi-Guangzhou service, offers tangible benefits. For business travellers, it means simplified logistics and easier access to key economic zones. For tourists and students, it provides greater convenience and potentially lower fares. The increase in direct flights from both Indian and Chinese carriers—including IndiGo's services to Guangzhou and Air India's planned resumption of Shanghai routes—indicates a stable and positive trend in bilateral travel. The passenger load factors on recently resumed routes have been strong, demonstrating a clear and pent-up demand for direct connectivity.
