- IndiGo launched daily direct flights between Kolkata and Shanghai starting March 29
- Kolkata becomes India's second metro after Delhi with direct air link to Shanghai
- Flights connect multiple Indian cities to Shanghai via Kolkata, easing travel
IndiGo has launched a daily direct flight between Kolkata and Shanghai. Announced on Sunday, March 29, the service makes travel between India's eastern gateway and China's commercial capital faster, easier, and convenient than ever. The new route, inaugurated by Consul General Pratik Mathur, makes Kolkata the second Indian metro after New Delhi to have a direct link to Shanghai.
The Consulate General of India in Shanghai posted on X, “Underlining the positive momentum, the CG appreciated the growing confidence and enthusiasm being expressed through the booming #air connectivity and the resurgent economic links between India and the region, as Indian Airlines such as IndiGo and Air India have started connecting Shanghai with metros New Delhi and Kolkata.”
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#NewBeginnings???????????? #ChaloKolkata ????☀️????
— India In Shanghai (@IndiaInShanghai) March 30, 2026
Consul General @PratikMathur1 was happy to meet the top management team of @Indigo6E team in Shanghai as the direct flight connecting #Shanghai to #Kolkata started operations.
➡️ Underlining the positive momentum, CG appreciated the… pic.twitter.com/mPPKAP7XZB
But did you know the route also carries historical and cultural significance to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore?
The Tagore Link
Rabindranath Tagore visited Shanghai three times, in 1913, 1923 and 1931. Today, the city honours his legacy with two busts of the poet.
Launching this route ahead of Rabindra Jayanti in April is a nod to the people-to-people ties between Eastern India and Eastern China.
Schedule For Flyers
As per the schedule, the flight departs Kolkata at 9:45 pm and lands in Shanghai at 4:40 am the next day. The return leg leaves Shanghai at 5:40 am and arrives back in Kolkata at 9:05 pm.
Connectivity
The route is being operated with the Airbus A320neo and comes soon after the airline resumed flights to Guangzhou and expanded its international network from Delhi.
This new connection allows passengers from cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar to reach Shanghai via Kolkata seamlessly, avoiding multiple stopovers. With both IndiGo and Air India now operating flights to Shanghai from Indian metros, travellers have multiple options to plan their trips.
The direct route also supports economic growth in the North-Eastern region of the country.
The next focus for air expansion is Mumbai.
India and China resumed flights between multiple cities in October last year after a five-year freeze caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and delayed further by the eastern Ladakh border standoff. It ended in October 2025.
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What IndiGo Said
Speaking about the launch, Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo's Head of Global Sales, said, “We are pleased to commence our daily, direct flights between Kolkata and Shanghai, further strengthening connectivity between India and People's Republic of China. Along with our existing daily connectivity from Delhi and Kolkata to Guangzhou, we now operate 21 weekly flights to mainland China. Shanghai is one of the world's leading financial and commercial centres, and an important gateway for global trade. This new route will facilitate increased business as well as leisure travel opportunities and enable greater cultural and economic exchange between the two countries. As we continue to expand our international network, IndiGo remains committed to building strategic air links that connect India with key global markets.”
