China Southern returns to India — daily Guangzhou–Delhi

China Southern will launch a daily Guangzhou–Delhi nonstop from 21 September 2026, with CZ359 departing Guangzhou at 15:35 and CZ360 departing Delhi at 20:00. This is the carrier’s first India flying in six years, and the third mainland Chinese carrier to return after China Eastern’s Shanghai–Delhi and Air China’s Beijing–Delhi. The return of China Southern to India is significant for Sky Pearl miles holders, as there were no partner metal or China Southern metal options available in India since 2020. Sky Pearl’s exit from SkyTeam on 1 January 2020 meant that awards had no fallback, making redemptions out of India impossible. Our take: This development is favourable for holders of Sky Pearl miles, particularly those who have transferred miles from IHG One or Marriott Bonvoy. With the launch of the Guangzhou–Delhi nonstop, Sky Pearl awards can now be booked from Delhi, although options are limited to this route. Treat every Sky Pearl price as bookable from Delhi and nowhere else in India.