Air India shall offer direct flights to China soon
What's the story
Air India, the flagship carrier of Tata Group, has received regulatory approval to operate direct flights from India to China. The airline will start services from Delhi to Shanghai in December. It is also likely to get a second set of approvals for the direct flights between Mumbai and Shanghai.
Operational history
Air India may operate Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai route
Five years ago, Air India used to operate direct flights between Mumbai and Shanghai. However, as per Businessline, the airline may now operate flights from Mumbai to Delhi first before heading onward to Shanghai. This comes after IndiGo became the first Indian carrier to resume the non-stop flights between India and mainland China last week.
Market re-entry
Resumption of services after 5 years
The resumption of flight services by both Indian and Chinese carriers marks a major milestone in re-entering each other's markets after a five-year gap. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines from both countries operated direct flights to multiple destinations including Shanghai, Guangzhou, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. However, these services were suspended in early 2020 due to the pandemic, and the situation was further complicated by military clashes in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.
Economic impact
Direct flights could boost passenger traffic
The resumption of direct flights is expected to give a major boost to bilateral trade, tourism, and business travel between India and China. Historically, services to China have recorded healthy load factors of up to 90%. Currently, passenger traffic between the two countries is around one million annually via one-stop connections. However, direct flights could potentially triple this number with a mix of tourists, students, and business travelers.