China Southern Airlines to Restart Guangzhou-New Delhi Passenger Flights After Six-Year Halt

Key facts

• China Southern Airlines announced it will resume regular passenger flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21, 2026, after a six-year suspension.
• Following the restart, the airline will operate more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in the South Asia region.
• Air India resumed its New Delhi-China services in February 2026, China Eastern Airlines restored its Kunming-Kolkata route on April 18, 2026, Air China resumed Beijing-Delhi service in April 2026, and IndiGo began daily nonstop Kolkata-Shanghai flights on March 30, 2026.
• Direct air services between India and China had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions following the Doklam and Galwan standoffs.
• The announcement came hours before the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026.