On 25 July, I travelled back to the US, our second home, from India after an early summer holiday trip. My spouse and two kids (a toddler and a 5-year-old) were with me. We started from Varanasi for New York through New Delhi Airport where we had the domestic to international connection. The return journey was an altogether different experience this time.
No baggage recheck-in, no terminal change, no immigration formalities…at Indira Gandhi Airport. Just seamless transfer to our connecting international flight. India’s new hub-and-spoke model that facilitates global connectivity at non-metro airports through “Easy Connect flights” made it possible. Surprisingly, we checked in bags (through the final destination) and cleared immigration formalities at Varanasi Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport – which was unimaginable before 25 June 2026.
I learned about the hub-and-spoke model and the Easy Connect flight initiative from the Indian Eagle blog and the newsletter. It seemed interesting. I got two itineraries with the best fare deals for our return trip; one with Qatar Airways via Ahmedabad, and the other with Air India via New Delhi. Both the Indian Eagle deals were equally irresistible. When the ticketing team called me trying to know when I would book flight tickets, she told me that the Air India itinerary was eligible for Easy Connect travel.
Finally, we chose to travel with Air India and found the hub-and-spoke model quite transformative for international departures. We departed from the International Pier at Varanasi Airport and arrived at Terminal 3 of Delhi IGI Airport. We went straight to the security checkpoint with our carry-ons and reached the boarding area in 45 minutes. The transit was a breeze. No such hiccups as long check-in lines and baggage recheck-in at India’s busiest international airport!
Disclaimer: Gopal Sharma, one of our valued customers, shared his experience of India’s hub-and-spoke easy connect operations on request. We published his experience under Travel Stories, adhering to our in-house editorial guidelines. We used an AI-generated image to represent Gopla Sharma and his family for the sake of their digital privacy.
What is hub-and-spoke Easy Connect?
The government of India’s hub and spoke model with Easy Connect allows travelers to complete international check-in and immigration formalities at their home/origin airport (spoke) before they fly out of Delhi or Mumbai airport (hub). In collaboration with the government, Air India launched Easy Connect flights on 25 June 2026 starting with Varanasi. Limited to Air India currently, the Easy Connect service eases international departure, enables through baggage check-in from a non-metro airport to a destination outside India, and eliminates the need to go through immigration at Delhi Airport.
India plans 44 airports for Hub and Spoke flights
After Varanasi, Air India added Amritsar to its hub-and-spoke Easy Connect model, effective 28 July. Precisely, outbound international travelers from Amritsar and Varanasi can fly out of DEL Airport, bypassing pre-departure formalities except security checking. Soon Air India will expand Easy Connect operations to Ahmedabad International Airport and other non-metro cities. Total 40 non-metro airports across the country will be connected as spokes to four hub airports: Delhi IGIA, Mumbai CSMIA, Bengaluru BLR, and Ahmedabad AMD.
What international destinations can I book Air India flights to under Easy Connect?
You can book Air India Easy Connect flight tickets to the US, Canada, London, Sydney, Singapore, Dubai, Frankfurt, Manila, Paris, and others (total 27 international gateways).
Can I book Easy Connect flights for inbound travel to India?
Absolutely no. The hub and spoke model with Easy Connect service is only for outbound journeys from non-metro Indian airports to select international destinations.
Does Easy Connect allow to make customs declaration at non-metro airports?
No. The customs declaration facility is not available at non-metro airports under the hub and spoke model. If you pack in high value or dutiable goods, you need to declare it at the hub airport. In that case, you should not book Air India Easy Connect flights.
Is it true that web check-in is not available for Easy Connect flights?
You heard it correctly. The Easy Connect service does not include this facility as of now, since physical boarding passes are issued during check-in at your original airport in a non-metro Indian city.
What processes will I go through at the hub airport if not baggage recheck-in and immigration?
You will only undergo passport/photo ID verification during security screening at the hub airport. You must keep your passport and boarding pass readily accessible in the international transfer area.
