First Direct Flight Between Mongolia and India Starts 28 September
Short answer: from Monday 28 September 2026, Mongolia and India get their first regular nonstop flight. Hunnu Air will fly Ulaanbaatar–Delhi once a week, on Mondays, with an Embraer E195-E2. A journey that used to take a connection through Seoul, Beijing, Almaty or Hong Kong now takes about five hours. As of 27 September, published schedules differ a little on timings and on how long the service will run, so confirm your flight directly with the airline.
What's new, and when it starts
Hunnu Air, a Mongolian airline, launches scheduled flights between Ulaanbaatar's Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN) and Delhi (DEL) on 28 September. Mongolia's national news agency Montsame listed the Delhi route alongside Spring Airlines' Ulaanbaatar–Shanghai service and SCAT Airlines' Astana–Ulaanbaatar service as new direct routes this year. According to aviation analyst Network Thoughts, Hunnu Air is the first Mongolian carrier to run a scheduled service to India, even though the two countries have had diplomatic relations since 1955.
The published timetable is simple, but the times are a little unusual:
MR301 Ulaanbaatar → Delhi: departs 03:50, arrives 07:20 (local times), according to AeroRoutes and Network Thoughts.
MR302 Delhi → Ulaanbaatar: departs 08:20, arrives 16:20.
Frequency: once a week, on Mondays.
Aircraft: Embraer E195-E2, a modern narrow-body jet. Hunnu Air received its second E195-E2 in December 2025, according to the airline's website, which now lists New Delhi among its destinations.
India's travel trade paper TravTalk reported on 18 September slightly different times (08:00 from Delhi, 03:30 from Ulaanbaatar) and said the service is planned to run until 27 March 2027. AeroRoutes' earlier schedule listing covered only 28 September to 19 October. Treat the route as newly launched: book directly, and check your times again a week before you fly.
Why this route matters
Until now, travel between India and Mongolia meant at least one connection. Hunnu Air's chief commercial officer, Turbold Tserenkhuu, told TravTalk that the trip could take more than 20 hours with one or two stops. A five-hour nonstop flight changes the trip completely, especially for a short break.
The two countries also share a long Buddhist connection. Network Thoughts expects pilgrims travelling between Mongolia and India's Buddhist sites, such as Bodh Gaya, to make up part of the demand, along with business travelers and people visiting family. For Indian visitors it works the other way too: Ulaanbaatar's monasteries, and the older temple sites of central Mongolia, are now a short flight from Delhi. Both TravTalk and TBO Academy report that Hunnu Air is looking at Mumbai and Bengaluru as future destinations. Nothing has been scheduled yet.
Visas and entry for Indian passport holders
Indian citizens need a visa for Mongolia. India is not among the 34 countries on Mongolia's temporary visa exemption, according to the Immigration Agency of Mongolia, and that exemption runs only until the end of 2026 anyway. The good news is that India is on the list of countries eligible for Mongolia's official online visa at evisa.mn. The portal's terms say your passport must be valid for at least 180 days, you should carry a copy of the e-visa, and your biometrics will be taken at the border. The fee is non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. After you arrive, foreign visitors must be registered with the immigration authorities, so if you're staying in a hotel or travelling with an operator, ask them to do it for you. For more detail, see our Mongolia visa guide.
What this means for your trip
Plan in whole weeks. With one flight a week in each direction, the natural trip lengths from Delhi are 7 or 14 nights. You arrive on a Monday afternoon and fly back in the early hours of a Monday.
Mind the 03:50 departure. The flight home leaves Ulaanbaatar in the middle of the night. Plan your last evening around an airport transfer at about midnight to 1 a.m., and don't count Monday as a sightseeing day.
Arriving at 16:20 works well. You'll be at your hotel by early evening. The first morning is free for Ulaanbaatar's sights before you head out to the countryside.
Think about the season. The route launches just as Mongolia moves into autumn and winter. That's a quiet, beautiful time to visit, but it's cold. Our month-by-month season guide explains what to expect.
Connecting through Delhi? If you're coming from further away, book on a single ticket where you can, or leave generous time between flights. With a weekly service, a missed connection can cost you a whole week.
For the other ways to fly into Mongolia, see our guide to international flights to Ulaanbaatar.
How Enza Tours can help
We're based in Ulaanbaatar and can build a trip around Hunnu Air's Monday flights: meeting you at the airport in the afternoon, a cultural tour of the capital, and a week or two in the countryside, ending with a late-night transfer for the early flight home. Tell us your dates and we'll check the flight times with you before anything is booked.
FAQ
Is there a direct flight from India to Mongolia?
Yes. From 28 September 2026 Hunnu Air flies nonstop between Delhi and Ulaanbaatar once a week, on Mondays. It's the first regular direct service between the two countries.
How long is the flight from Delhi to Ulaanbaatar?
About five hours, according to TravTalk. Published schedules show departure from Delhi in the morning and arrival in Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon, local time.
Do Indian citizens need a visa for Mongolia?
Yes. India is not on Mongolia's visa-exemption list, but Indian citizens can apply online through the official e-visa portal, evisa.mn. Your passport must be valid for at least 180 days.
Will the Delhi flight run all winter?
TravTalk reports the service is planned until 27 March 2027, but an earlier schedule listing showed only the first few weeks. As of 27 September 2026, check with Hunnu Air before you book dates later in the season.
