China Southern Airlines to resume Guangzhou-New Delhi flights after six-year suspension
Mangalore Today News Network
New Delhi, Sep 12, 2026: Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India for the BRICS summit, China Southern Airlines has announced the resumption of Guangzhou-New Delhi flights after a six-year suspension.
The airline on Saturday said that it will resume regular passenger services on the Guangzhou-New Delhi route starting September 21, reported Global Times.
Following the restart, the airline will run over 100 weekly flights across its eight round-trip routes in South Asia, the carrier said.
India and China have this year progressively restarted air services after they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions post the Doklam and Galwan standoffs.
Earlier this year, Air India resumed New Delhi-China flights from February 2026, nearly six years after the suspension. In April, direct air connectivity between India and China received another boost when Air China resumed its Beijing-Delhi service, marking the second route to India to be resumed by Chinese carriers.
The move followed the resumption of flights by China Eastern Airlines, which restarted its direct service between Kunming and Kolkata on April 18.
Earlier on March 30, IndiGo commenced its inaugural daily, nonstop service between Kolkata and Shanghai, marking another significant milestone in strengthening air connectivity between India and the People’s Republic of China.
The launch built on IndiGo’s recent expansion in China, including the successful reinstatement of flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou and the subsequent start of operations from Delhi.
The announcement followed the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) confirmation of the resumption of direct flights between India and China.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his way to New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Xi will hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi later on Saturday.
Xi Jinping is visiting India for the first time after Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed at the Galwan Valley in 2020, souring relations for several months. India-China ties have since thawed, with the Chinese President meeting PM Modi in Kazan and Tianjin.
The Chinese President has already left Beijing, according to news agency Xinhua. He is expected to arrive in New Delhi at 12:25 IST.
Xi’s entourage includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister.
PM Modi and Xi’s bilateral meeting is scheduled at 5:45 pm today.