IndiGo launches Kolkata-Kunming cargo flights to boost India-China trade

Indian airline IndiGo has launched a regular all-cargo flight between Kolkata and Kunming on 20 April 2026. The inauguration ceremony was conducted at Kunming Changshui International Airport, and the inbound cargo had 9 tonnes of high-value crabs from India, whereas the outbound cargo was nearly 21.4 tonnes of general goods. The flight is scheduled three times a week and is set to be operated by an airline’s A321F freighter.

The introduction of this new route will possibly improve the air logistics capacity between southwest China and eastern India, offering a smooth and faster flow of fresh production, cross-border e-commerce parcels, and other general commodities between the two regions.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by representatives from relevant firms such as the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou, Yunnan Airport Group, Provincial Department of Transportation, the Provincial Department of Commerce, the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Kunming Entry-Exit Border checkpoint, Kunming Changshui Airport customs, and China Eastern Airlines Yunnan Co.

Jia Suo, Vice President of Yunnan Airport Group, Secretary of the Party Committee, and Chairman of Kunming Airport, addressed attendees and shared initiatives to strengthen Yunnan-India aviation cooperation. He mentioned that the focus is centered on deepening route coordination, increasing the frequency of passenger and cargo flights, and enhancing air corridors for better transportation.

Another reason he included is to reinforce multi-party collaboration, to promote concerted efforts among airlines, port authorities, and logistics providers, including expansion in cooperation, prefer air routes as the link, and enable the coordinated integration of Yunnan and India concerning economic and trade, cultural and people-to-people, and tourism.

Considering Kolkata as one of the metropolitan cities of East India and the capital of West Bengal, it is seen as a major pillar of the economy, trade, and cultural exchanges between Yunnan and India. Similarly, Kunming is a gateway hub for southwest China and is emerging as a distribution center facing South and Southeast Asia. The restart of passenger flights and the beginning of cargo services on the Kunming-Kolkata route have managed to build an air corridor featuring “simultaneous passenger and cargo transportation with two-way unimpeded flow”.

Consul General of the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou, Gince Kuruvilla Mattam, stated, "IndiGo has emerged as India's leading airline in terms of both passenger traffic and fleet size, with its CarGo network covering South Asia and extending to countries across Asia and Europe. The Kolkata-Kunming cargo route links China’s gateway to South and Southeast Asia with the logistics hub in eastern India; it serves not only as a logistics express lane but also as an important bridge for China-India economic and trade cooperation. The launch of this route also underscores Yunnan Airport Group’s extensive professional network and its open, collaborative approach. Taking this route as the starting point, we are willing to deepen cooperation, increase flight frequencies, manage logistics costs more efficiently, facilitate Yunnan’s products to access the global market and Indian goods to enter the Chinese market, and jointly build a high-quality model for China-India aviation cooperation."