Sun Nov 09 11:48:04 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summary and rewrite based on the provided text:
Summary:
After a five-year hiatus stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and border tensions, direct passenger flights between mainland China and India have resumed. China Eastern Airlines launched a Shanghai-Delhi service with high occupancy on November 9, 2025, becoming the first mainland Chinese carrier to do so this year. This follows IndiGo’s resumption of flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou in late October. The flight resumption is seen as a sign of improving relations following military standoffs and high-level meetings aimed at stabilizing ties. Further expansion of flight routes is planned by both China Eastern and IndiGo.
News Article:
China Eastern Resumes Shanghai-Delhi Flights, Marking Milestone in India-China Relations
Beijing – In a significant sign of improving relations, China Eastern Airlines has resumed direct passenger flights between Shanghai and Delhi, marking the first such service from a mainland Chinese carrier in five years. Flight MU563, carrying 248 passengers, departed Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Sunday, November 9, 2025, boasting a 95% occupancy rate, according to the Global Times.
The resumption comes after a prolonged suspension of air travel between the two nations, initially triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and later complicated by military tensions in the Ladakh region. IndiGo had already resumed service October 26, with an aircraft landing in Guangzhou from Kolkata.
“The Shanghai-Delhi route is considered a key corridor linking two major economic centres and is expected to boost exchanges in trade, economy and culture,” the Global Times reported.
The restored flight service is seen as a tangible outcome of recent diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. A disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok was finalized in October of last year, which was followed by a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.
China Eastern plans to operate the Shanghai-Delhi route three times a week, utilizing an Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline is also considering increasing flight frequencies and launching new routes, including a Shanghai-Mumbai service and the resumption of the Kunming-Kolkata service. IndiGo will begin its daily Delhi-Guangzhou service from November 10.
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