Air India will resume operations to Mainland China after a six-year hiatus with the launch of flights to Shanghai.
The Star Alliance operator says it will resume flights between Delhi and Shanghai Pudong from 1 February 2026, and is looking to launch flights from Mumbai to Shanghai some time in 2026.
The Delhi-Shanghai flights will be operated four times weekly with Boeing 787-8s.
Shanghai was the only Mainland Chinese point in Air India’s network in 2020 when all direct links between the two countries were suspended amid diplomatic tensions and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Air India, which began flying to Mainland China in 2000, is the second Indian operator to make a return to Mainland China since the resumption of direct air links.
On 27 October, compatriot IndiGo launched flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou, followed by direct links between Delhi and Guangzhou in early November.
Says Air India CEO Campbell Wilson: “The resumption of our Delhi-Shanghai services is more than a route launch. It is a bridge between two great, ancient civilisations and modern economic powerhouses.”
