Air India to Launch Inbound International ‘Easy Connect’ Flights to Amritsar Within Two Months

Air India plans to launch inbound international ‘Easy Connect’ flights to Amritsar within the next two months under the Hub and Spoke model, aiming to simplify international travel for passengers heading to the Punjab city.

Under the new arrangement, eligible international passengers travelling to Amritsar will be able to complete immigration formalities and collect their baggage at Amritsar, their final destination. Currently, international travellers connecting to domestic flights must clear immigration and collect their baggage at the first Indian airport they arrive at before taking a connecting flight to their final destination.

The Hub and Spoke model links smaller or regional airports, known as spokes, through a central airport or hub. In Air India's planned inbound service, Delhi will serve as the connecting hub, while Amritsar will be the final destination.

Passengers arriving internationally will change aircraft at Delhi and take a dedicated connecting flight to Amritsar. Instead of completing the immigration and baggage process at Delhi, they will be able to complete these formalities at Amritsar, making the international-to-domestic transfer more seamless.

Air India said it would be the first Indian carrier to implement the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for inbound Hub and Spoke operations. The initiative is part of efforts to improve international connectivity and strengthen India's position as a global aviation transit hub.

The airline has already launched outbound ‘Easy Connect’ services from Varanasi, which began on June 25, while similar services started from Amritsar on Tuesday. Air India is also expected to launch outbound services from Ahmedabad, Goa, Kochi and other cities in the coming weeks.

Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said four hub and 40 spoke airports would be developed under the model.

According to Air India, around 25 million passengers travel long-haul to and from India annually, with nearly 20 million being connecting travellers. About 85% currently transit through overseas hubs, highlighting the opportunity for India to attract more international transfer traffic.