India in Talks with China to Use Xinjiang Airspace as Pakistan Ban Persists

India is in discussions with China about using airspace over Xinjiang as an alternative route for Indian carriers, as Pakistan's airspace remains closed to Indian aircraft, sources said.

The talks, which sources said have been going on for more than a year, centre on routing flights through Hotan in Xinjiang. The Ministry of External Affairs is engaging with its Chinese counterparts on the possible alternate routes, the sources added.

The development follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit.

Ahead of that visit, China Southern Airlines said it would restart direct flights between Guangzhou and New Delhi from September 21, bringing back a route that had been suspended for six years. The airline said it would operate more than 100 weekly flights across eight round-trip routes in South Asia.

Indian carriers have also been rebuilding connections with China. IndiGo resumed direct India-China services in October 2025 with the Kolkata-Guangzhou route, adding Delhi-Guangzhou the following month. Air India restarted Delhi-Shanghai flights on February 1, ending a gap of nearly six years, initially with four weekly services and raising the frequency to five from March 29.

The renewed air links come amid wider diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing.

Pakistan has kept its airspace shut to Indian aircraft since April 2025. Two weeks ago, it extended restrictions on Indian aircraft by another month, with tensions continuing after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and the military confrontation that followed.