The airline expressed its intent to broaden its presence in India, with plans to relaunch the Kolkata-Kunming route and introduce a new Mumbai-Shanghai service in the near future.
According to a statement from China Eastern Airlines, during the winter schedule, flight MU564 will leave Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 19:55 pm, arriving at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai at 04:10 am the following morning.
The return journey, flight MU563, departs Shanghai at 12:50 pm and lands in Delhi at 17:45 pm, the statement noted.
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This rapid expansion is in response to strong demand and aims to enhance air connectivity between India and China, following the successful relaunch of the route in November 2025 after a five-year break.
Initially, the service was expected to increase gradually from three to five weekly flights, but the overwhelming interest from passengers and trade partners encouraged China Eastern to jump straight to daily operations.
Flight services between the two nations were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and remained suspended due to a prolonged border standoff in eastern Ladakh, which concluded last October.
InterGlobe Air Transport, the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for China Eastern Airlines in India, manages the airline’s complete commercial and operational functions, including sales, marketing, ticketing, and support.
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The airline has now introduced interline connectivity, enabling travelers to arrange seamless single-ticket journeys to and from 39 Indian cities via Delhi to Shanghai and onward through China Eastern’s extensive global network.
Relations between India and China reached their lowest point since the 1962 war following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. However, after numerous diplomatic and military discussions, both sides withdrew troops from several points of friction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
In October last year, a disengagement agreement was established for Depsang and Demchok, the last remaining friction points.
Shortly after this agreement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan, Russia, resulting in several decisions aimed at improving bilateral ties.
In recent months, measures have been taken to mend relations, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and the resumption of flights.
