India is preparing to significantly expand its aviation infrastructure with a strategic plan to build 100 new airports across the country over the next decade, involving an investment of Rs 30,000 crore. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the expansion roadmap during an event at Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, where he also inaugurated the nation's third 'Hub and Spoke' air service. The ceremony took place in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
Ahmedabad Becomes India's Third Hub-and-Spoke Aviation Hub
With this launch, Ahmedabad Airport has joined an elite group of Indian transit hubs operating under the Hub and Spoke model. The primary objective of this service is to seamlessly connect air travelers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to international destinations by utilizing major domestic airports as primary gateways.
Prior to Ahmedabad's integration, Varanasi Airport became the first location in India to adopt this operational framework. Subsequently, Amritsar Airport in Punjab rolled out the Hub and Spoke service in July this year. The inclusion of Ahmedabad further strengthens India's internal transit network for long-haul international routes.
How the Hub-and-Spoke Model Operates
The Hub and Spoke architecture is a standard operational framework in global commercial aviation designed to optimize passenger routing and aircraft movement. Under this structure, a major, high-capacity airport functions as the central 'hub', while smaller regional facilities act as feeder 'spokes'.
For instance, if a passenger intends to travel from Ayodhya to London, Ayodhya serves as the feeder spoke airport. The traveler first boards a domestic feeder flight from Ayodhya to the central hub at Ahmedabad, where they seamlessly transfer onto an international flight bound for London. This framework eliminates fragmented itineraries, improves flight occupancy rates, and simplifies international travel for passengers originating from non-metropolitan regions.
Airport Count Rises from 74 in 2014 to 166 Today
Highlighting the growth of domestic aviation infrastructure over the past decade, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu noted that India possessed only 74 operational airports in 2014. Today, that figure has grown to 166 airports on the national aviation map.
Describing this rapid trajectory as a milestone achievement, the minister pointed out that over the past 12 years, the government completed either a new airport project or a new terminal facility approximately every 40 days. He emphasized that the developments witnessed over the last 12 years represent merely the initial phase of a broader long-term modernization strategy for Indian aviation.
Cabinet Provision of Rs 28,840 Crore for Next-Phase UDAN
Building upon the achievements of the Regional Air Connectivity Scheme known as 'Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik' (UDAN), the government is committing Rs 30,000 crore to construct 100 additional airports over the coming decade.
The policy foundation for this next phase was established in March this year when the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the revised framework of the Regional Air Connectivity Scheme. Designed to operate for a 10-year period spanning financial years FY 2026-27 through FY 2035-36, the scheme carries a total central budgetary support of Rs 28,840 crore to ensure sustained infrastructure expansion.
