(Yicai) Oct. 9 -- IndiGo and Air India said they will resume direct flights to and from China after suspending relevant services in early 2020, while Air China and China Eastern Airlines will reportedly also start operating such routes again.

IndiGo will launch a direct flight from Kolkata to Guangzhou on Oct. 26, India's largest airline announced on Oct. 3. Air India also revealed plans to return to the Chinese market, but did not disclose a flight schedule.

Air China will start running a flight from Beijing to New Delhi via Chengdu, while China Eastern will fly from Shanghai to New Delhi via Kunming, according to recent reports.

The resumption of flights between China and India could reshape the Asian aviation market. Many Indian travelers may be drawn to transit via Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to reach Europe and the Americas after previously passing through Hong Kong, Singapore, and other air hubs, while Chinese travelers heading to India had to first go to Hong Kong and Thailand.

Four Chinese and two Indian carriers operated flights between China and India in October 2019, a month before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that led to the suspension of services. The Guangzhou-New Delhi route accounted for 23 percent of flights, followed by the Shanghai-New Delhi and Kunming-Kolkata routes with 20 and 13 percent, respectively.

Editor: Martin Kadiev