China Eastern Airlines on Sunday resumed its Shanghai–Delhi service with a 95 per cent occupancy, becoming the first mainland Chinese carrier this year to restart direct flights to India after a five-year gap, PTI reported. Flight MU563, carrying 248 passengers, departed from Shanghai Pudong International Airport for Delhi. Meanwhile, Indian carrier IndiGo will begin its daily Delhi–Guangzhou service from November 10.

China Eastern is the first Chinese mainland-based airline in 2025 to resume direct passenger flights between China and India, the report said, adding that the Shanghai–Delhi flight achieved a load factor of over 95 per cent. The Shanghai–Delhi route is seen as a key corridor linking two major economic hubs and is expected to boost trade, business, and cultural exchanges, the report added.

Flights between India and the Chinese mainland resumed on October 26, when an IndiGo aircraft from Kolkata landed in Guangzhou, ending a hiatus that began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Services remained suspended amid the military standoff between the two countries in eastern Ladakh, which ended in October last year.

China Eastern’s Shanghai Pudong–Delhi route, operated by an Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, will run three times a week—on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The airline said it plans to increase frequencies based on demand and also aims to resume the Kunming–Kolkata service and launch a new Shanghai–Mumbai route.

Bilateral relations between India and China had hit their lowest point since the 1962 war following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. After several rounds of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides withdrew troops from multiple friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

A disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok—the last two friction points—was finalised in October last year. Days after the agreement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, Russia, and agreed to take steps to stabilise bilateral ties.

In recent months, the two countries have taken a series of measures to rebuild engagement, including resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and restoring flight services.