Govt plans 44 airports with Hub and Spoke flights: What does it mean for air travellers?

The government aims to develop a 44-airport hub-and-spoke network, including four hub airports, to provide seamless international air connectivity, a senior official said on Tuesday. The statement came as Air India launched Hub and Spoke flights from Amritsar, making it the second spoke airport after Varanasi to be brought under the model.

Speaking at a function at Amritsar airport to mark the launch, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said four hub airports and 40 spoke airports would be developed under the model, taking the total to 44 airports.

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In a video message, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said Hub and Spoke is an "aviation sovereignty" and an "opportunity" model for India. He also said the government aims to develop 100 airports and 200 heliports over the next 10 years.

WHAT IS THE HUB AND SPOKE MODEL?

Under the hub-and-spoke model, passengers from smaller cities, or spokes, are routed through a central airport, or hub, for onward domestic or international flights. In India, the model is meant to connect Tier-II and Tier-III airports with overseas destinations through major hubs such as Delhi. Air India has started outbound 'Easy Connect' services under this model, and said inbound international services to Amritsar are expected to begin within the next two months.

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At present, Delhi is the only hub airport in the network, while Varanasi and Amritsar are the two spoke airports. Ahmedabad will be the next spoke airport.

From Amritsar, Air India will connect travellers to 27 international destinations through Delhi under the model. The airline said passengers arriving in Delhi from Amritsar will be able to take onward flights to 27 overseas destinations within four hours, including destinations in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, West Asia and Southeast Asia. Air India has started two daily 'Easy Connect' flights from Amritsar from Tuesday.

Air India said, "As part of the 'Easy Connect' programme, international travellers from Amritsar can complete through check-in to their final destinations, clear immigration formalities at Amritsar airport, and enjoy seamless transfers through Delhi without having to re-check baggage or change terminals."

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An official said incoming international passengers travelling under the model will change aircraft in Delhi before flying to Amritsar, and the onward flights will carry only such passengers. Presently, Air India Group, comprising Air India and Air India Express, operates around 900 weekly flights, of which around 500 are operated by Air India.

The hub-and-spoke system is widely used in global aviation. Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines have built networks around hub airports in Dubai, Doha, Istanbul and Singapore, while carriers such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines also rely heavily on hub-and-spoke operations in the United States.