# India Launches Its First 'Hub and Spoke' Flight From Varanasi, Ending Long Foreign Layovers for Flyers > The central government has rolled out its 'hub and spoke' model with a first flight from Varanasi, letting travellers from smaller cities connect to the world through India's major airports instead of transiting through Dubai or Singapore. **Type:** article · **Category:** Business · **Published:** 2026-06-25 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/business/varanasi-se-ura-desha-ka-pahala-haba-enda-spoka-vimana-aba-videshi-eyaraporta-para-ruke-bina-pahunchenge-yatri-3013 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Hub and Spoke, Easy Connect Service, Varanasi Airport, Air India, International Flight, Civil Aviation, IndiGo Indian travellers heading abroad may soon be able to skip those long, tiring layovers in Dubai, London or Singapore. The central government has finally put its 'hub and spoke' aviation model into action, aiming to make India's aviation sector globally competitive and to link smaller cities directly with world markets. The rollout began from Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Marking the occasion, PM Modi said the initiative would bring India's far-flung regions closer to global opportunities. The thinking behind the model is straightforward, to encourage domestic flyers to use India's own big airports as global aviation hubs rather than transiting through foreign ones. ## Why the change was needed The numbers tell the story. Of the roughly 2.5 crore international long-haul passengers flying from India every year, 85 percent, or about 1.7 crore, route their journeys through foreign hubs instead of Indian airports. On top of that, around 35 percent of international passengers catch their connecting flights via cities like Dubai, London and Singapore. The government wants to flip this trend. The goal is to turn metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai into major aviation hubs of the world. According to Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, the model will not only benefit smaller cities but also open up new employment opportunities. ## How the 'Easy Connect' service works Under the new system, passengers will be handed two separate boarding passes right at a 'spoke' airport like Varanasi, clearly marked with 'D' (domestic) and 'I' (international). The biggest relief is that all customs and immigration formalities for outbound passengers will be completed at their first departure point, Varanasi itself. That means they will not have to stand in long queues again at a 'hub' airport such as Delhi. A passenger's baggage will also be moved directly onto the international flight through airside operations at the hub airport. In other words, there is no longer any need to collect and re-check bags during the transit. For passengers arriving in India, the same process runs in reverse, with customs and immigration cleared at their final destination, the spoke airport. ## Cities that will get the service soon The first flight, departing Varanasi at 9:30 am and landing in Delhi at 10:50 am, connected passengers onward to nine international destinations including Dubai, Colombo, Jeddah and Phuket. Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said that in the coming months the 'Easy Connect' service will be expanded to cities such as Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Patna, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam. Aviation Minister Naidu also made it clear that besides Air India, IndiGo will soon begin operating flights under this 'hub and spoke' model, which will boost both competition and passenger convenience in the Indian aviation market. ## What this means for you - **Across India:** Outbound flyers will get direct connections through India's major airports instead of transiting via Dubai or Singapore, saving time and sparing them long queues. - **In Varanasi:** Travellers can now clear customs and immigration locally and connect to nine international destinations, while the service's expansion is set to create new jobs. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Where was the 'hub and spoke' model launched from? It was launched from Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ### 2. What is the main aim of this model? The aim is to get domestic flyers to use India's major airports as global aviation hubs instead of transiting through foreign airports. ### 3. What benefit do passengers get under the 'Easy Connect' service? Two boarding passes and customs-immigration are completed at the spoke airport itself, and baggage is transferred directly to the international flight, so passengers avoid queuing again at the hub airport. ### 4. When did the first flight from Varanasi depart? The flight departed Varanasi at 9:30 am and reached Delhi at 10:50 am. ### 5. How many Indian passengers currently transit through foreign hubs? Of about 2.5 crore international passengers a year, 85 percent, or roughly 1.7 crore, travel via foreign hubs. ### 6. Which cities will get the service next? In the coming months it will expand to Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Patna, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam. ### 7. Will any airline other than Air India join this model? Yes, IndiGo will soon begin operating flights under the 'hub and spoke' model as well. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. 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