New Delhi, September 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India is in talks with China to explore the use of its airspace in the Xinjiang region by Indian commercial airlines, as the continued closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian aircraft has increased flight times and operating costs on routes to western countries, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday.
“We are looking at other alternatives. Discussion on the Hotan route in China is going on between the two countries. Our External Affairs Ministry is engaging with the country. Let us see how it goes, but we are trying alternatives,” Naidu told journalists.
The proposed route through Hotan in China’s Xinjiang region could provide Indian airlines with an alternative to Pakistani airspace. According to sources, discussions on the route have been underway for more than a year.
The development comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently attended the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Ahead of Xi’s visit, China Southern Airlines announced the resumption of direct flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21, restoring a route that had remained suspended for six years.
The resumption is part of broader efforts to restore direct air connectivity between India and China after services were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions along the countries’ border.
China Southern said it would operate more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in South Asia, strengthening air connectivity between China and the region.
Among Indian carriers, IndiGo was the first to resume direct flights between India and China. The airline restarted services between Kolkata and Guangzhou in October 2025, followed by flights on the Delhi-Guangzhou route in November that year.
Air India resumed direct flights between Delhi and Shanghai on February 1, ending a nearly six-year gap in services to mainland China. The airline initially operated four flights a week before increasing the frequency to five weekly flights from March 29.
The renewed air links have emerged alongside wider diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
Pakistan has kept its airspace closed to Indian aircraft since April 2025, prompting Indian airlines to consider alternative flight routes. Two weeks ago, Pakistan extended the restrictions by another month amid continuing tensions with New Delhi.
The restrictions followed the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s launch of Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan.
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