Beijing, March 30
IndiGo on Monday launched a daily direct flight between Shanghai and Kolkata, in a fresh boost to air connectivity between India and China as the two neighbours continue efforts to normalise ties.
The new IndiGo 6E service was formally launched by India’s Consul General in Shanghai, , Pratik Mathur, who said the route reflected growing confidence in the revival of economic and people-to-people links between the two countries.
According to a post by the Indian Consulate in Shanghai on X, Mathur met the IndiGo management team and highlighted the “positive momentum” in bilateral ties, pointing to stronger air links and improving business relations between India and eastern China.
With the launch of the new route, Kolkata becomes the second Indian metro city after New Delhi to be directly connected with Shanghai, China’s commercial capital. Indian carriers including IndiGo and Air India have in recent months expanded services linking Shanghai with major Indian cities.
Officials also said Air China is expected to start a direct Beijing-New Delhi flight fromApril 21 , adding to the gradual restoration of commercial aviation links between the two countries.
Mathur said the Shanghai-Kolkata route could also support the economic development of India’s north-east by improving access through eastern India. He added that Kolkata and Shanghai share long-standing historical and cultural ties, noting that Rabindranath Tagore visited Shanghai in 1913, 1923 and 1931.
He said the new service was expected to strengthen exchanges between eastern India and eastern China, with Kolkata and Shanghai serving as major gateways for deeper engagement.
