China Eastern Airlines (CEA) flight MU563 took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 1:02 pm on Sunday, carrying 248 passengers on its journey to Delhi, India. The flight marked the official resumption of the China-India route after a five-year hiatus. CEA is the first domestic carrier to restart passenger flights between China and India in 2025. The outbound flight's load factor exceeded 95 percent.

The resumed Shanghai Pudong-Delhi route is operated with an Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft and will operate three times a week – on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flight MU563 departs from Shanghai at 12:50 p.m. and arrives at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 5:45 p.m. local time. The return flight, MU564, departs from Delhi at 7:55 p.m. local time and arrives in Shanghai at 4:10 a.m. the following day. The total flight duration is approximately eight hours.

The Shanghai-Delhi route is one of the most strategically important air corridors between China and India, linking two major economic hubs. It is expected to promote comprehensive exchanges between the two countries in trade, business and culture, injecting new momentum for the China-India cooperation. The CEA plans to increase the frequency of flights based on market demand and is also considering restoring the Kunming-Kolkata route and launching a new Shanghai to Mumbai service, further expanding the air network between China and India.

With CEA's extensive network at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and its convenient transfer services, passengers arriving in China can easily connect to flights to major cities across the country and international destinations, including North America, Japan, South Korea and beyond. Meanwhile, Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, as a major aviation hub in India, offers strong transit capabilities, enabling passengers to reach major Indian cities and connect to destinations in South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Europe and Africa.