China Southern Airlines Restores Guangzhou-New Delhi Flights Ahead of Xi-Modi BRICS Meeting

China Southern Airlines announced on September 12, 2026 that it will restart regular passenger flights between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport on September 21, 2026. The carrier will operate one daily Boeing 737-series flight (CZ359 outbound, CZ360 return) linking the two capitals after a six-year suspension that began with the COVID-19 pandemic and was prolonged by the 2020 border clash in eastern Ladakh.

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The route was halted in 2020 when pandemic travel bans were imposed and remained closed as India-China relations deteriorated after the Doklam and Galwan standoffs. A border agreement in October 2024 marked the start of a diplomatic thaw, leading to high-level meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan (Oct 2024) and Tianjin (2025). The resumption coincides with President Xi’s visit to New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12, 2026, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Modi.

The HinduCNN-News18China Southern to restart Guangzhou-Delhi flights from Sep 21 as Xi visits India Hindustan TimesChina Southern Airlines to resume Delhi-Guangzhou flights after 6-year hiatus China Southern to resume Guangzhou-Delhi flights after 6 years ahead of Xi's Brics visit First PostDeccan Chronicle

• Sept 12, 2026 – China Southern announces the September 21 restart.

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• Sept 21, 2026 – First Guangzhou-New Delhi flight departs.

The Indian Express

• Mar 30, 2026 – IndiGo launches daily Kolkata-Shanghai service.

The Indian Express

• Apr 18, 2026 – China Eastern resumes Kunming-Kolkata flights.

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• Apr 21, 2026 – Air China restarts Beijing-Delhi service.

Hindustan Times

• The Guangzhou-New Delhi flight is part of a schedule of more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in South Asia.

The Indian Express

• CZ359 departs Guangzhou at 3:35 pm, arriving New Delhi at 7:00 pm; CZ360 leaves New Delhi at 8:20 pm and lands in Guangzhou at 4:15 am the next day.

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• In fiscal year 2025-26, China was India’s largest source of imports, valued at about $132 billion.

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• In 2024, approximately 500,000 passengers traveled between India and China via third-country hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

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• Guangzhou hosts an estimated 3,000 Indian traders and business professionals and is a major sourcing hub for apparel, accessories and electronics.

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• The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that direct flights between India and China would be reinstated, aligning the airline’s schedule with the government’s normalization agenda.

First Post

• Reuters reported that India-China relations have entered a “cautious thaw,” with direct flights, business travel and trade links gradually recovering.

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• Xinhua noted that President Xi is expected to advance proposals on Global South cooperation at the BRICS summit, reinforcing the economic dimension of the bilateral engagement.

China Southern to resume Guangzhou-Delhi flights after 6 years ahead of Xi's Brics visit

The restored link provides a direct conduit for tourism, education and business travel, reducing reliance on third-country transits. For Indian firms, the route re-opens a fast channel to Guangzhou’s wholesale markets and the Canton Fair, potentially streamlining supply-chain sourcing for apparel, electronics and accessories. The flight also signals a tangible outcome of the diplomatic rapprochement that began after the 2024 border agreement, complementing broader efforts to revive trade valued at $132 billion in the latest fiscal year.

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