The country’s largest carrier has also signed an MoU with China Southern Airlines for a codeshare partnership and cooperation agreement, aimed at strengthening air connectivity between India and China.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline by passenger volume and fleet size, has commenced daily non‑stop flights between Delhi and Guangzhou, as well as inked a codeshare agreement with China Southern Airlines as air connectivity between India and China gradually normalises following a five-year hiatus.
The new route, operated with A320neo aircraft, began on November 10 and links the Indian capital with Guangzhou, a major business and manufacturing hub in southern China. IndiGo had already resumed connectivity to China last month by reinstating flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, becoming the first Indian carrier to do so.
Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo, said the new service would deepen economic and cultural exchange between the two countries. “This route from Delhi, our largest domestic hub, will strengthen travel options and encourage trade, tourism, and collaboration. It will also connect Guangzhou to IndiGo’s vast domestic network of 90-plus destinations, giving Chinese travellers access across India.”
According to the airline, the Delhi-Guangzhou flights will operate daily, departing Delhi at 2145 hrs and arriving in Guangzhou at 0450 hrs the next day. The return service departs Guangzhou at 0550 hrs and lands in Delhi at 1010 hrs.
Codeshare Pact with China Southern
IndiGo has also inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Southern Airlines to establish a codeshare partnership and cooperation agreement, aimed at strengthening air connectivity between India and China. The agreement, announced on November 11, is subject to regulatory approvals.
Elbers said the agreement builds on the airline’s recent expansion in China. “We recently reinstated our direct daily flights connecting Kolkata with Guangzhou, followed by inaugurating a new direct service between Delhi and Guangzhou. Now with this partnership, our joint customers will get the added convenience of booking seamlessly for travel across various parts of India and China on the joint network of IndiGo and China Southern Airlines.”
Han Wensheng, President and CEO of China Southern Airlines, said the partnership reflects the airline’s confidence in the Indian market.
“Through cooperation with IndiGo, we will be able to further leverage each other’s advantages, offer a wider range of travel products, and give new momentum to the economic, cultural and aviation exchanges between the two countries.”
The partnership will allow China Southern Airlines to offer enhanced connectivity into India, while IndiGo customers will gain access to China Southern’s extensive network beyond Guangzhou. The codeshare will provide integrated travel itineraries through check‑in and seamless booking options across the joint network of both carriers.