What is India’s new hub-and-spoke model and how will airport immigration change?

India has launched the first phase of its hub-and-spoke aviation strategy, a plan that aims to make international travel easier for passengers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The initiative is a key part of the government's ambition to transform India into a global aviation hub by 2047.

The model formally took off on June 25 with the launch of the first "Easy Connect" service from Varanasi through Delhi. Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu has said six more destinations will be added to the network over the next six weeks as the government expands the programme across the country.

What is the hub-and-spoke model?

Under the system, smaller airports, known as "spokes", are connected to larger hub airports such as Delhi. Passengers travelling abroad can begin their journey from a smaller city and connect seamlessly to international flights through the hub airport.


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For instance, a passenger travelling from Varanasi to London can complete check-in, immigration and baggage formalities at Varanasi itself before flying to Delhi and boarding the international flight. At the hub airport, the passenger can proceed directly to the connecting flight without repeating the process.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation says the model will improve access to international travel for passengers living outside major metropolitan centres while making better use of airport infrastructure developed under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

Why is India introducing it?

According to the government, nearly 35% of international passengers travelling from India currently transit through foreign hubs such as Dubai, London and Singapore before reaching their final destinations. The new strategy aims to redirect a larger share of that traffic through Indian airports. The government believes India's location between Europe and East Asia gives it a natural advantage to become a global transit centre.

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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. The broader strategy includes a calibrated approach to granting flying rights to foreign carriers and measures to strengthen domestic aviation networks.

How will the system work?

Passengers on hub-and-spoke routes will receive separate boarding passes for domestic and international segments, marked accordingly. Customs and immigration formalities for outbound international travellers will be completed at the spoke airport, while inbound passengers will clear immigration and customs at their final destination airport.

The model also allows baggage to be transferred automatically through airside operations at the hub airport, eliminating the need for passengers to collect and re-check bags.

Air India is the first airline to operationalise the programme under its "Easy Connect" service. The Varanasi-Delhi leg has been timed to connect with international flights to destinations including London, Frankfurt, Rome, Milan, Zurich, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Dubai and Riyadh. The airline has indicated that additional spoke cities will be added in phases.

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.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 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 the 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.