By Kavita Mistry 
IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Southern Airlines to form a comprehensive codeshare and mutual cooperation partnership. The agreement marks an important milestone in deepening air connectivity between India and China, facilitating greater access, convenience, and growth across both countries’ rapidly expanding aviation markets.
Under the proposed arrangement—subject to regulatory approvals—China Southern Airlines will gain the ability to market and sell seats on select IndiGo-operated flights across India, while IndiGo customers will enjoy the convenience of booking through itineraries across China Southern Airlines’ extensive international network, particularly beyond Guangzhou, its main hub.
The codeshare will enable travellers to benefit from enhanced travel options, seamless booking processes, coordinated flight schedules, and through check-in services, simplifying journeys for both business and leisure passengers travelling between the two nations. The collaboration also aims to foster greater trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges by improving access to key commercial and leisure destinations across the Indo-China corridor.
Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, commented:
“We are happy to join hands with China Southern Airlines as we enhance connectivity between India and China. We recently reinstated our direct daily flights connecting Kolkata with Guangzhou, followed by inaugurating a new direct service between Delhi and Guangzhou. Now with this partnership, our joint customers will get the added convenience of booking seamlessly for travel across various parts of India and China on the joint network of IndiGo and China Southern Airlines.”
Echoing the sentiment, Han Wensheng, President and CEO of China Southern Airlines, said:
“China Southern Airlines highly values the development potential of the Indian market. Through cooperation with IndiGo, we will be able to further leverage each other’s advantages, offer a wider range of travel products, and give new momentum to the economic, cultural, and aviation exchanges between the two countries.”
This collaboration marks IndiGo’s continued expansion of its global network partnerships following similar strategic alliances with carriers in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. For China Southern Airlines, the MoU reinforces its presence in the Indian subcontinent while strengthening connectivity between two of Asia’s largest and fastest-growing aviation markets.
Both airlines will announce detailed codeshare schedules, city pairings, and commercial arrangements in the coming months as part of a phased rollout, following necessary clearances.
The partnership aligns with India’s and China’s broader ambition to restore and expand post-pandemic air connectivity, catering to growing passenger demand driven by tourism, trade, education, and business travel.
With this MoU, IndiGo continues to consolidate its position as a key facilitator of regional and global mobility, while China Southern Airlines strengthens its role as a strategic connector within Asia’s evolving aviation ecosystem.
