China Eastern Airlines to increase Shanghai-Delhi flight frequency from January 2026
It will be operated by Airbus A330‑200 wide-body aircraft, featuring 17 lie-flat MINPRO business-class seats and 245 economy-class seats for commercial booking.
New Delhi: China Eastern Airlines on Friday announced that it will increase its direct flights between Shanghai Pudong and New Delhi from three to five per week, starting January 2, 2026, due to strong demand from the Indian market. “The flight from Delhi, MU564, will depart at 19:55, arriving in Shanghai at 4:10 the following day. Flight MU563 from Shanghai Pudong will depart at 12:50 pm and arrive in New Delhi at 17:45 local time,” the carrier informed in a statement. The flights will be available on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
It will be operated by Airbus A330‑200 wide-body aircraft, featuring 17 lie-flat MINPRO business-class seats and 245 economy-class seats for commercial booking. InterGlobe Air Transport will manage all the airline’s commercial and operational functions — including sales, marketing, ticketing, and support. The airline plans to introduce additional routes to India, including Kunming-Kolkata and Shanghai Pudong-Mumbai, the company said, adding that increased flight frequency will enhance bilateral trade, tourism, education, and cultural and technological exchanges.
With China Eastern’s Shanghai Pudong serving as a major international hub, travellers can connect to major cities across mainland China and onwards to destinations in North America, Japan, South Korea, and Europe. China Eastern Airlines had earlier announced the resumption of flights on its India route, with flights between Shanghai and Delhi starting from November 9, after a five-year pause.
According to travel data provider OAG, the two countries operated around 2,588 scheduled flights in 2019 before services were suspended. Meanwhile, China this week extended a warm welcome to an IndiGo Airlines flight, carrying 180 passengers from Kolkata, West Bengal. IndiGo Airlines, which landed in Guangzhou on Monday, marked the first direct flight between the countries after 2020. Earlier, IndiGo also announced new daily direct flights between New Delhi and China’s Guangzhou starting November 10.
