IndiGo launches daily New Delhi-Guangzhou flights as India, China resume direct air links

SINGAPORE: India’s largest commercial carrier IndiGo said on Tuesday (Nov 11) that it has launched a daily non-stop route between New Delhi and Guangzhou, shortly after both nations resumed direct flights following a five-year hiatus.

Bilateral relations soured after a deadly Himalayan border clash in 2020, but ties between the world’s two most populous nations have improved gradually.

Last month, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to resume direct service to mainland China since the COVID-19 pandemic when it reinstated flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou.

“I think it speaks for the agility of IndiGo and the sort of preparedness for it,” IndiGo chief executive officer Pieter Elbers told CNA on Tuesday.

“(When) the two governments basically announced the reopening of the airspace and the corridor between the two countries, we worked relentlessly, and I'm very proud of the IndiGo team who did all the preparations to get this up and running.”

He noted that more than a third of the world’s population live in India and China, making the resumption of flights “an incredibly important moment for us”.

Elbers, who was on the first New Delhi-Guangzhou flight that touched down at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Monday, said the route is expected to serve a mix of business travellers, students and leisure passengers.

“As the borders open and as visas will start to flow, (there will be) the opportunity to further build on that and address the multiple market segments – not only the commercial ones, but perhaps also students and other forms of collaboration and connections between the two countries,” he added.

STRONG DEMAND, FUTURE GROWTH

Elbers said early demand for the route has been robust – Monday’s New Delhi-Guangzhou flight was full except for two passengers who did not show up.

Prior to the reinstatement of the direct flight, passengers were already travelling to both points via intermediate stops in Asia and the Middle East, he added.

“We see a strong demand … so I'm very upbeat and optimistic about the outlook,” Elbers said.

When asked how IndiGo intends to maintain high seat occupancy in the long term, he noted that expanding economic links between India and China would help sustain traffic.

“As things are moving forward, I think the two governments have taken steps to enhance that commercial relationship between the two countries,” he said. 

Considering the vast number of people residing in India and China, more direct flights would “create a lot of new relationships”, he added.

NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA SOUTHERN

Elbers also announced that IndiGo has signed a commercial partnership with China Southern Airlines.

Both carriers inked a memorandum of understanding to establish a codeshare partnership and mutual cooperation agreement, subject to regulatory approval. 

“China Southern clearly has a very strong position here in Guangzhou, (and) also Beijing,” noted Elbers.

“The partnership will allow customers from IndiGo to connect (with) that huge network of China Southern – both in India itself, as well as other parts of the world, and vice versa. Whenever China Southern decides to start flying into India, we will have a similar arrangement there,” he added.

Elbers said partnerships are “pretty new” for IndiGo, but the airline has stepped up its game over the past three years and seen “very positive momentum”.

Looking ahead, the IndiGo CEO said it aims to grow its China network.

“Clearly, we have the ambition to grow. There are numerous cities, both in India and China, with 5 million-plus populations. Direct connectivity between these cities is, I would say, a great opportunity,” he added.

IndiGo is set to receive its first Airbus A321XLR by the end of this year, which will allow it to better operate longer international flights.

Elbers said this means the chance to start building on these routes is clearly there.

“We started Guangzhou, and obviously we're looking to other Chinese cities as well,” he added.