Air China plans to resume flights to India in April after a six-year hiatus, as capacity between mainland China and India continues to rebuild from pandemic-era suspensions and political tensions.
According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the Star Alliance member will restart operations between Beijing Capital International Airport and New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on April 21, operating three times per week using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The service will provide about 1,800 two-way weekly seats and will become the only nonstop route linking the two capitals.
Air China last operated scheduled service to India in February 2020, when it served both New Delhi and Mumbai from Beijing Capital. At the time, it was the only airline operating nonstop flights on both routes. Services were suspended shortly afterward as the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally and relations between the two countries deteriorated following a deadly border clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020.
The resumption marks another step in the gradual restoration of air links between China and India following an agreement between the countries’ foreign ministers in August 2025 to allow direct flights to resume.
Three airlines have already returned to the market. IndiGo relaunched flights to mainland China in October 2025, followed by China Eastern in November and Air India in February 2026. Current nonstop routes between the two countries include IndiGo’s daily services from New Delhi and Kolkata to Guangzhou, Air India’s 4X-weekly New Delhi-Shanghai Pudong service and China Eastern’s daily Shanghai Pudong-New Delhi flights.
Despite the gradual recovery, capacity remains well below pre-pandemic levels. OAG data shows there are currently about 11,654 two-way weekly seats between China and India, compared with 22,934 seats at the same time in 2019.
However, capacity is expected to increase further in the coming months. China Eastern is planning to launch a new Kunming-Kolkata route in May, and with the addition of Air China’s Beijing Capital-New Delhi flights, weekly capacity between the two countries is scheduled to rise to about 16,900 two-way seats by early June.
Traffic demand is also recovering. Sabre Market Intelligence data shows O&D traffic between India and China totaled about 753,000 two-way passengers in 2025, up 16% year on year, although still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. New Delhi-Beijing ranked as the eighth-largest city pair between the countries last year, with about 18,800 two-way passengers.
Before the pandemic and geopolitical tensions disrupted the market, nine nonstop routes connected China and India, carrying more than 1.25 million two-way passengers in 2019. Chinese airlines dominated the market at that time, with China Southern Airlines holding a 31% capacity share, China Eastern 27% and Air China 17%, while Indian carriers accounted for less than 20% combined.
The gradual restoration of flights is also being supported by policy changes. India eased visa restrictions for Chinese visitors in 2025, helping to stimulate travel demand and rebuild business and tourism flows.
Related Content
