From July 28, Air India will launch its "Easy Connect" service at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, making it the second airport in India after Varanasi to operate under the government's new hub-and-spoke international connectivity policy. The initiative allows international flyers to complete immigration formalities in Amritsar before boarding domestic flights to Delhi, enabling seamless onward connections to global destinations from the national capital.
Hub-and-Spoke Model Expands to Amritsar
The Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu will formally inaugurate the service at the airport on Tuesday morning. According to Air India, the move aligns with the Centre’s new international connectivity model aimed at improving access to global destinations from regional airports through a hub-and-spoke network. The strategy is designed to integrate domestic and international travel under a single airline network, reducing transit hassles for passengers.
Amritsar serves a large catchment area that includes Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of neighbouring states, besides a sizeable overseas Punjabi diaspora. The new service is expected to significantly ease travel for those flying to international destinations via Delhi, eliminating the need for separate immigration and baggage re-check at the connecting airport.
Flight Schedule and Operational Details
Air India will operate two daily flights between Amritsar and Delhi as part of the Easy Connect service. Flight AI 1113 will depart Amritsar at 9:10 am and arrive in Delhi at 10:40 am, replacing the existing AI 496 service while retaining the same schedule. A second service, AI 1115, will leave Amritsar at 10:00 pm and reach Delhi at 11:20 pm, replacing AI 2574 with unchanged timings. Both flights are timed to connect with Air India's international departures from Delhi's Terminal 3.
Passengers using the Easy Connect service will check in their baggage at Amritsar and receive boarding passes for both the domestic leg and the onward international flight. After clearing immigration and customs at Amritsar, they will arrive at Delhi as domestic-to-international transit passengers, allowing a smoother transfer without additional formalities.
Impact on Travelers and Regional Connectivity
The initiative is expected to reduce transit times and stress for international flyers from Punjab and nearby regions. Previously, passengers had to complete immigration and customs procedures only at Delhi, often requiring longer layovers. With the new arrangement, the time spent at Delhi airport can be significantly reduced, improving the overall travel experience.
Air India stated that the Easy Connect service aims to strengthen the airline's presence in northern India and offer better connectivity for the Punjabi diaspora, which constitutes a major segment of international travelers from the region. The move also supports the government's vision of promoting regional airports as international gateways, potentially boosting tourism and business travel.
The launch follows the success of a similar hub-and-spoke model at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport. The government plans to extend the policy to other airports across India, gradually transforming the country's aviation landscape by decentralizing international traffic from major hubs like Delhi and Mumbai.
