[Press Release] India’s IndiGo launched a scheduled all-cargo service between Kolkata and Kunming on 20 April 2026. The inaugural ceremony was held at Kunming Changshui International Airport.
The route is operated by an Airbus A321P2F freighter, with three weekly flights. On the inaugural flight, inbound cargo consisted of 9 tonnes of premium crabs from India, while outbound cargo totaled approximately 21.4 tonnes of general cargo. The launch of this new route will significantly enhance air logistics capacity between Southwest China and Eastern India, providing strong support for the efficient movement of perishables, cross-border e-commerce shipments, and general cargo.
At the ceremony, representatives from the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou, Yunnan Airport Group, the Provincial Department of Transport, the Provincial Department of Commerce, the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Kunming Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, Kunming Changshui Airport Customs, and China Eastern Yunnan Company attended the event to witness this important milestone.
India’s Consul General in Guangzhou, Mr. Gince Kuruvilla Mattam, stated:
“IndiGo has developed into India’s largest airline in terms of passenger traffic and fleet size, with a cargo network spanning South Asia and reaching across Asia and Europe. The Kolkata–Kunming cargo route connects China’s gateway to South and Southeast Asia with a key logistics hub in Eastern India. It serves not only as an efficient logistics corridor, but also as an important bridge for China–India economic and trade cooperation. IndiGo highly recognizes Yunnan Airport Group’s professional network and open approach, and is willing to use this route as a starting point to deepen cooperation, increase flight frequencies, reduce logistics costs, and facilitate the export of Yunnan products to global markets and the entry of Indian goods into China, jointly setting a benchmark for high-quality aviation cooperation between China and India.”
Left: Jia Suo, Vice President of Yunnan Airport Group and Party Secretary and Chairman of Kunming Airport
Right: Mr. Gince Kuruvilla Mattam, Consul General of India in Guangzhou
At the ceremony, Jia Suo, Vice President of Yunnan Airport Group and Party Secretary and Chairman of Kunming Airport, delivered remarks and proposed three key initiatives for enhancing Yunnan–India aviation cooperation: First, to deepen route coordination by increasing both passenger and cargo flight frequencies and improving a dual-track air corridor for passengers and freight; Second, to strengthen multi-party collaboration among airlines, logistics providers, and port authorities to enhance operational efficiency; Third, to expand the scope of cooperation, using the route as a link to promote deeper integration in trade, cultural exchange, and tourism between Yunnan and India.
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, is a core city in Eastern India and a key hub for economic and cultural exchange between Yunnan and India. Kunming, as a gateway hub for Southwest China’s opening-up, is accelerating its development as a center radiating toward South and Southeast Asia. The simultaneous resumption of passenger services and launch of cargo operations between Kunming and Kolkata establishes a dual-channel air corridor with both passenger and cargo capacity, marking an important step in optimizing Yunnan’s aviation network and advancing bilateral cooperation.
IndiGo, new cargo route launch, China-India air cargo connectivity, aviation PR, IndiGo expands cargo network, Kunming, Kolkata
