Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced on Thursday that flights under the Hub and Spoke model will commence from six more Indian cities in six weeks as Air India is set to operate the first such service from Varanasi. According to PTI, Naidu did the ceremonial inauguration of the first Hub and Spoke model flight at the airport in Varanasi and also handed over boarding passes to a few passengers. The model, that seeks to make India a global aviation hub, will enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports with international destinations through major hub airports such as Delhi. Passengers arriving from smaller cities will be routed through major hub airports such as Delhi for onward international connections. As reported by Business Standard, Modi highlighted that the model will contribute to regional development and strengthen India's economic growth, noting that one of the world's oldest living cities and a symbol of India's rich civilisational heritage, Varanasi represents the spirit of our vision of taking Vikas and Virasat together. According to The Economic Times, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson announced that the aviation firm will expand the model to cities including Amritsar, Vadodara, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Visakhapatnam in the coming months.
The inaugural 'Easy Connect' service, flight AI1111, is scheduled to depart from Varanasi at 9.30 am with international passengers on the flight connecting onward from Delhi to nine overseas destinations, including Dubai, Colombo, Jeddah, Riyadh and Phuket. As reported by PTI, Air India is introducing 'Easy Connect' flights under the model, with Air India's CEO and MD Campbell Wilson confirming that these flights would be extended to Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai and other cities in the coming months. The 'Easy Connect' flights will enable travellers from cities beyond major hubs to drop baggage and complete immigration at the origin airport and travel seamlessly to overseas destinations, significantly improving the passenger experience for those connecting from smaller cities. The Varanasi-Delhi leg has been specifically timed to connect with international flights to London, Frankfurt, Rome, Milan, Zurich, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Dubai and Riyadh. According to The Economic Times, Air India flight 1111 connects Varanasi seamlessly to 17 destinations such as London, Frankfurt, Singapore and others, demonstrating the expanded international reach of the model. According to PTI, Naidu confirmed that all the SOPs and systems are now finalised; all stakeholders have been brought together and the first operation is going to start from Varanasi today.
The Hub and Spoke model introduces automated baggage transfer through airside operations at hub airports, eliminating the need for passengers to collect and re-check bags. As reported by The Economic Times, this feature allows passengers to complete check-in, immigration and baggage formalities at their origin airport before flying to the hub, then proceed directly to connecting flights without repeating the process. Delhi Airport is expected to play a central role in the programme due to its capacity of more than 100 million passengers annually and its position as the largest aviation gateway in northern India. Other airports identified as potential major hubs include Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai. The Ministry of Civil Aviation reports that the model will reduce travel time for passengers, make better use of existing infrastructure, improve aircraft utilisation and help ease congestion at major airports. According to PTI, Naidu confirmed that all the SOPs and systems are now finalised; all stakeholders have been brought together and the first operation is going to start from Varanasi today.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced significant infrastructure development plans for Varanasi airport, stating "We will bring facilities like Delhi's Airport to Varanasi, such as runway extension, new terminal, and multilevel car parking. We will complete it within the next 13 months". As reported by The Economic Times, this comprehensive upgrade will transform Varanasi into a major aviation hub capable of handling international traffic at scale. The infrastructure development aligns with the government's vision to strengthen Indian airlines by enabling them to feed international traffic through domestic hubs rather than relying on overseas connecting airports. According to PTI, Modi emphasized that "We have the capacity, and we have the infrastructure, we have everything ready" for the expansion, with the aim to open all airports under this model. The policy is also introduced to strengthen Indian airlines by enabling them to feed international traffic through domestic hubs rather than relying on overseas connecting airports.
According to Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, the Hub and Spoke model would benefit Tier II and Tier III cities as well as help create more job opportunities and attract investments. Modi emphasized that better international connectivity creates new opportunities for trade, tourism, investment, education and business. The model will enable people from smaller cities to access global destinations through a single, integrated journey while supporting the movement of goods and services. As reported by The Economic Times, the Ministry of Civil Aviation projects that the long-term economic impact of the hub-and-spoke strategy could include the creation of around 16 million direct and indirect jobs and a contribution of nearly USD 1.4 trillion to the Indian economy by 2047. The government views this initiative as a major step in shifting India from being primarily an end-destination market to becoming a global transit hub in its own right. Naidu emphasized that "In the next 6 weeks, we will convert six destinations into Hub Export models" and noted that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains that development in the civil aviation sector boosts the whole economy. It provides job opportunities".
