Air India announced on Monday that it will restart flights between New Delhi and China beginning February 2026, marking the airline’s first return to the Chinese market in nearly six years. The carrier also revealed plans to launch a Mumbai–Shanghai route later in the year, pending regulatory approval.
A Significant Step Toward Normalizing Air Links
The move comes shortly after Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport confirmed last month that flights between the two countries would resume, ending more than five years of suspended service. The reinstatement signals a cautious easing of long-standing diplomatic and operational tensions between India and China.
Air India said the revival of its Shanghai service follows recent diplomatic agreements that reopened aviation links halted in early 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diplomatic Progress Behind the Restart
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to China earlier this year for the first time in seven years to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During the meeting, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that India and China are partners in development, not competitors, and discussed opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade ties amid global economic uncertainty.
What Comes Next
With regulatory approvals still pending and additional service expansions planned, Air India’s return to China marks a renewed chapter in cross-border connectivity. The relaunch of routes between major financial hubs such as New Delhi, Mumbai, and Shanghai is expected to boost business travel, tourism, and broader economic engagement between the two countries.
