[Global Times-Global Network Reporter Li Xundian Tu Lei Chu Daye] According to a Global Times reporter, China Eastern Airlines (hereinafter referred to as "China Eastern Airlines") will resume the route from Pudong, Shanghai to Delhi, India on November 9. According to previous reports from multiple media, direct flights between China and India, which had been suspended for more than five years, were officially resumed on October 26. The first flight was carried out by Indigo Airlines, India's largest airline. Analysts believe that this marks an "important step towards rebuilding relations" between the two most populous countries in Asia after a lapse of five years.

In an interview with the Global Times, the official said: "The Pudong-New Delhi route has been suspended for five years since 2020, connecting Shanghai and Delhi, is described as "one of the most strategic airways between China and India."

According to the relevant person in charge of China Eastern Airlines, the resumption route will be operated by Airbus A330-200 wide-body passenger aircraft, with three round-trip flights on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday every week. According to flight schedules, the outbound flight MU563 took off from Pudong, Shanghai at 12:50 and arrived at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport at 17:45 local time; the return flight MU564 took off from Delhi at 19:55 and returned to Pudong at 04:10 the next day. Tickets are currently available for sale.

It is that the follow-up will be based on market feedback encrypted routes, such as Pudong-New Delhi flights in January 2026 will increase to five weekly flights. In addition, the airline also plans to resume the Qingming-Calcotta, New Cape East-Mumbai routes to full coverage of the China-India network.

According to public media reports, Indigo Airlines of India took the lead in launching daily direct flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou on October 26, becoming the first Indian airline to resume scheduled flights from India to mainland China. According to the airline, starting from November 10, the airline will also add daily flights from Delhi to Guangzhou.

Pierre Elbers, chief executive officer of Blue Air, said in a press release: ¡°We are proud to be one of the first airlines to re-establish direct connections with China, which will reinforce human, economic, and tourism exchanges, as well as strengthen bilateral relations between the two most populous and fastest growing economies in the world.¡±

Ajoon Dawan, a member of the Board of the Government of India¡¯s Rubber Plastics and Skills Development Commission, told the Global Times that the resumption of direct flights was ¡°very popular¡± and its value was directly reflected in the two-way promotion of trade and tourism.

In an interview with the Global Times, Chen Fengyun, a professor at the Beijing University College of International Relations, said that the resumption of direct flight between China and India is a symbol of warming and improving relations between the two countries, which will help investments and market pioneering, but he also reminded that the improvement of relations between the two countries still faces multiple limitations, such as India's doubts about China, differences in perception, plus the provocation of the United States and the border and other historical legacy issues, these factors may form constraints for further improvement of bilateral relations.