India to Roll Out ‘Hub and Spoke’ Aviation Model to Boost Connectivity!

Passenger traffic on domestic and international air routes in India is rising rapidly, driven by improved regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme. With 154 operational airports, including 30 international ones, India recorded an estimated 167.7 million domestic flyers last fiscal year. To streamline travel between smaller cities and global destinations, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model, enabling seamless passenger movement through major hub airports.

Under this system, passengers from smaller “spoke” airports will be routed through larger hub airports for international travel, where processes like immigration, customs, and baggage transfers will be handled efficiently. Reports suggest that Air India may begin trials from June 1 at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, connecting Varanasi–Delhi–London routes. The model aims to reduce turnaround time, improve network integration, and optimize airport infrastructure usage, with DigiYatra registration made mandatory for international passengers.