Delhi-Guangzhou flights to resume as PM Modi-Xi meeting signals thaw in India-China ties

A six-year pause in direct air connectivity between India and China is set to end as China Southern Airlines announced the resumption of regular passenger flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21, just as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Indian capital.

The timing of the announcement is significant. Xi is scheduled to visit New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Modi amid efforts by the two countries to stabilise ties strained by the 2020 Galwan Valley border clashes.

For travellers, businesses and families separated by one of the world's most consequential bilateral relationships, the return of another direct flight route marks a practical sign of improving connectivity after years of disruption.

China Southern said the Guangzhou-New Delhi service would resume on September 21. The route was suspended in 2020 following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and remained grounded for nearly six years.

The airline's return will also expand China's air connectivity with South Asia. According to the Global Times, China Southern is expected to operate more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in the region.

Air links slowly return

China Southern's decision comes as airlines from both countries gradually rebuild their India-China networks.

IndiGo announced its China routes in November 2025, while Air India resumed regular New Delhi-China services in February 2026. Air China restarted its Beijing-Delhi service in April, while China Eastern Airlines resumed operations to India in November 2025.

The restoration of these links comes as travel between the two countries begins to recover from the prolonged disruption caused by the pandemic and subsequent diplomatic tensions.

Direct air connectivity is particularly important for businesses that depend on frequent travel between the two markets, as well as students, tourists and families with personal ties in both countries.

Modi-Xi talks in focus

Xi is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Saturday and attend the BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam. His meeting with Modi is expected to cover some of the most sensitive and consequential areas of the bilateral relationship, including the border situation, trade, economic cooperation, travel and tourism and regional security.

Xi is also expected to unveil new initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation among countries of the Global South, building on proposals he previously presented at the SCO Summit in Bishkek.

His delegation includes Cai Qi, Director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The renewed diplomatic engagement comes against a complicated backdrop.

India-China business ties have shown signs of improvement since the tensions that followed the Galwan clashes. The approval of business visas for Chinese professionals and the easing of restrictions on the purchase of Chinese equipment have helped facilitate greater commercial engagement.

More than 100 Chinese products are considered critical to Indian factories, underlining the depth of the economic relationship despite continuing strategic differences.

Yet the relationship remains far from normal.

India and China continue to maintain substantial military deployments along their disputed borders, including in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. At the same time, bottlenecks over visas and access to Chinese equipment and components continue to pose challenges for parts of India's electronics and manufacturing sectors.

China's role in India's military confrontation with Pakistan last year has added another layer of complexity. Beijing was not directly involved in the four-day conflict, but Pakistan relied heavily on Chinese-made fighter aircraft and missiles.

Against this backdrop, the return of a direct Guangzhou-Delhi flight is more than an airline scheduling decision. It is another small but visible sign of two countries attempting to restore practical links even as difficult questions over borders, security and strategic trust remain unresolved.