India In Talks With China Over Xinjiang Airspace For Indian Flights

India is in talks with China to explore the use of Xinjiang airspace as an alternate route for Indian airlines amid the continued restriction on Indian aircraft using Pakistani airspace, sources have told NDTV. The discussions are focused on potentially routing flights through Hotan in Xinjiang. Sources said the talks have been underway for more than a year, with the Ministry of External Affairs engaging with Chinese counterparts on possible alternative routes.

The discussions come days after Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The engagement also coincides with efforts by India and China to restore direct air connectivity between the two countries after flights were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions along the India-China border.

Ahead of Xi Jinping's arrival in Delhi for the summit, China Southern Airlines announced that it would resume direct flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21. The airline said the restoration was part of a broader effort to revive direct air links between China and South Asia. China Southern also announced plans to operate more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in the region.

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Indian airlines have also resumed services to China. IndiGo was the first Indian carrier to restore India-China connectivity, restarting direct flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou in October 2025 and subsequently launching services between Delhi and Guangzhou in November. Air India resumed direct flights between Delhi and Shanghai on February 1, ending a nearly six-year gap in its services to mainland China.

Air India's Delhi-Shanghai service initially operated four times a week before being increased to five flights a week from March 29. The renewed connectivity between India and China comes alongside broader diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing, with the restoration of air links forming part of the wider reopening of direct connections between the two countries.

Pakistan's airspace has remained closed to Indian aircraft since April 2025, making alternative routes an important consideration for Indian airlines. Two weeks ago, Pakistan extended the restrictions on Indian aircraft by another month amid continued tensions between the two countries following the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and the military confrontation that followed. Against this backdrop, discussions with China over a possible route through Xinjiang could provide another option for Indian carriers if the necessary arrangements are finalised.

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