China Southern to Restart Guangzhou-Delhi Flights Ahead of Modi-Xi Meeting

China Southern Airlines will resume direct Guangzhou-New Delhi flights from September 21, restoring the route after a nearly six-year suspension. The announcement comes just before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India for the BRICS Summit.

China Southern Restarts Delhi Service

According to the Global Times, China Southern Airlines will resume regular passenger flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi on September 21. With the route back in operation, the airline will run more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes linking China and South Asia.

The move adds to a gradual revival of direct air connectivity between India and China.

Air India restarted New Delhi-China services in February 2026 after almost six years, while Air China resumed its Beijing-Delhi route in April. China Eastern Airlines also brought back direct flights between Kunming and Kolkata on April 18.

IndiGo further expanded connectivity by launching a daily nonstop Kolkata-Shanghai service on March 30.

The restoration of these routes comes as India and China seek to improve bilateral engagement and strengthen people-to-people ties.

Modi-Xi Meeting in New Delhi

Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon for the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks later in the day.

Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said on Friday that the meeting would be the third consecutive year in which Modi and Xi have met, following their encounters in Kazan and Tianjin.

Xu said Beijing would work with New Delhi to follow the strategic guidance of the two leaders, strengthen communication and cooperation, and manage differences appropriately.

“China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good-neighborliness and partners helping each other succeed,” Xu said in a post on X.