China Eastern Airlines is set to resume flights to New Delhi for the first time since early 2020, marking a significant step in the rebuilding of air connectivity between mainland China and India.
The Shanghai-based carrier has scheduled 3X-weekly flights between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from Nov. 9, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
The relaunch revives one of China Eastern’s two pre-pandemic India routes, which included 6X-weekly flights between Shanghai and New Delhi and 8X-weekly roundtrips between Kunming and Kolkata.
All direct services between the two countries were halted following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the deterioration of bilateral relations after the June 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, which left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. However, the plans to resume flights follow renewed diplomatic engagement between Beijing and New Delhi, including August talks between foreign ministers that led to an agreement to restore direct air links.
China Eastern’s return coincides with IndiGo’s reentry into the China market. The Indian carrier will launch daily flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou from Oct. 26 and between New Delhi and Guangzhou from Nov. 10.
Before the shutdown, nine nonstop routes connected the two countries, with O&D traffic totaling more than 1.25 million passengers in 2019, according to Sabre Market Intelligence. By 2024, that number had fallen by half to about 617,000, with travelers forced to connect via Hong Kong, Singapore or Bangkok.
In 2019, China Eastern held a 27% share of China-India seat capacity, behind China Southern Airlines’ 31% and ahead of Air China’s 17%. Indian carriers, including Air India and IndiGo, accounted for less than 20%.
The New Delhi-Shanghai city pair was the largest market before the pandemic, with around 149,000 passengers annually, followed by New Delhi-Guangzhou and Mumbai-Shanghai.
China Eastern’s planned return to India follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Royal Air Maroc, aimed at “significantly strengthening air connectivity between Morocco and China.” The partnership will include codesharing on key routes, expanded connections beyond both carriers’ hubs and a special prorate agreement to enhance network complementarity and passenger convenience.
Air Maroc Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou says the partnership is a continuation of Morocco’s efforts to expand ties with China following King Mohammed VI’s 2016 state visit. “We are continuing this momentum thanks to this partnership, by strengthening connections and establishing human, economic, tourist and cultural bridges between the two countries,” he adds.
Royal Air Maroc currently operates 3X-weekly nonstop flights between Casablanca and Beijing Daxing using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows. Shanghai Airlines, a China Eastern subsidiary, also operates between Shanghai and Casablanca—currently offering 1X-weekly nonstop service and 3X-weekly flights via Marseille.
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