Travellers between India and Mongolia can now make the journey in around five hours after Hunnu Air launched a weekly non-stop service between New Delhi and Ulaanbaatar on Monday, establishing the first direct air connection between the two countries.
The inaugural flight from Ulaanbaatar landed at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport at 7:20 am on Monday, while the first return service departed New Delhi at 4:37 pm. The route is scheduled to operate every Monday.
Hunnu Air's published timetable shows the Delhi-Ulaanbaatar service operating from September 28, 2026, with the schedule currently filed through March 2027. The airline lists flight MR302 from Delhi to Ulaanbaatar on Mondays and MR301 on the return sector.
Direct service replaces lengthy transit journeys
Before the direct connection, travellers generally had to take connecting flights through hubs such as Hong Kong, Beijing or Incheon, with total journey times ranging from about 13 to 18 hours.
The new service reduces the travel time between the two capitals to roughly five hours, according to the Embassy of India in Mongolia. Other flight schedule sources put the direct flight time at about five and a half hours.
The route is operated by Mongolia's Hunnu Air, providing passengers with a direct alternative to the earlier transit-based options.
The service is expected to facilitate travel for tourism, medical purposes and business between India and Mongolia.
Tourism, trade and medical travel expected to benefit
The Indian embassy said the new connection could particularly support spiritual tourism from Mongolia to India's Buddhist heritage sites. It is also expected to facilitate medical tourism and winter tourism from India to Mongolia, allowing Indian travellers to access the country's natural landscapes and historical heritage throughout the year.
The new air link is also expected to support bilateral trade and commerce by enabling cargo to be transported more quickly and economically, according to the embassy.
The direct connection is being described as a step towards strengthening the existing multifaceted strategic partnership between India and Mongolia.
Both countries also provide gratis visas to each other's nationals, while an e-visa facility is available to citizens of both countries, according to the embassy statement.
Route was announced during Mongolia president's India visit
The direct flight initiative was announced during a joint press conference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mongolian President U Khurelsukh at Hyderabad House during the Mongolian president's state visit to India in October 2025.
India's ambassador to Mongolia, Atul Malhari Gotsurve, and Hunnu Air CEO Munkhjargal worked with relevant stakeholders to turn the proposal into an operational service.
The Embassy of India in Ulaanbaatar also thanked India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Mongolia's Ministry of Road and Transport for their support in establishing the new air connection.
The launch gives the two capitals a regular direct link after years in which passengers travelling between India and Mongolia had to rely on connecting routes.
The service is currently scheduled as a weekly Monday operation, with Hunnu Air's published timetable showing the route continuing into 2027.