India launches first ‘Easy Connect’ flight under Hub-and-Spoke model from Varanasi
New Delhi, June 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming India into a global aviation hub received a major boost on June 25 as Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu launched the country’s first ‘Easy Connect’ flight under the new Hub-and-Spoke model from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi.
The launch marks the beginning of a new aviation connectivity framework aimed at enabling passengers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities to access international destinations seamlessly through Indian hub airports.
Under the initiative, international travellers originating from cities such as Varanasi will be able to complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at their departure airport itself before boarding flights to major Indian hub airports such as Delhi for onward international connections.
The government said the Hub-and-Spoke strategy is designed to position India as the preferred aviation hub for Indian travellers by 2030 and eventually for global passengers by 2047.
Speaking at the launch event in Varanasi on June 25, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the initiative represented a major step towards making air travel more accessible while building a future-ready, self-reliant and globally competitive aviation industry.
He said the new model would fundamentally transform international travel for Indian citizens by allowing passengers to begin their overseas journeys directly from their home cities and connect to destinations around the world through Indian carriers and airports.
To mark the commencement of operations, the minister presented commemorative boarding passes to some of the first passengers checking in for the inaugural ‘Easy Connect’ service.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the benefits of developing India into an aviation hub extend beyond the aviation sector, with improved international connectivity expected to boost trade, tourism, investment and regional economic growth.
Studies conducted by the ministry estimate that the development of aviation hubs could create around 400,000 direct and indirect jobs and add an additional $30 billion to India’s GDP by 2030. By 2047, the cumulative economic impact could support nearly 16 million jobs and contribute approximately $1.4 trillion to the economy.
The new framework incorporates a range of security and operational safeguards. Both segments of domestic-international journeys under the model are classified as international operations, while separate boarding passes are issued for domestic and international passengers to avoid intermixing.
International passengers using the Hub-and-Spoke arrangement will also not have access to customs declaration facilities at the connecting hub airports, as all formalities will have already been completed at their point of origin.
The launch of international Hub-and-Spoke operations from Varanasi is being seen as a significant step in the evolution of India’s aviation ecosystem and the government’s efforts to provide inclusive and efficient global connectivity to passengers across the country.
The launch event was attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary Puneet Kansal, Airports Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar and Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson, along with senior officials from the ministry and aviation sector agencies.
