Amritsar Becomes India’s Second Spoke Airport Under Global Aviation Hub Strategy, To Now Connect Over 20 International Destinations

Mumbai: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) inaugurated Hub & Spoke international flight operations from Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Tuesday. This made Amritsar the second airport to provide seamless international connectivity via Delhi with all immigration formalities completed at Amritsar.

Second Phase Of National Aviation Strategy

The launch follows the inaugural rollout in Varanasi on June 25 into the government's flagship International Aviation Hub Strategy. The national framework is designed to route international passengers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 non-metro airports through designated primary hub airports in India, keeping transit traffic within domestic carrier networks and infrastructure.

Under the newly implemented operational protocol, international travelers departing from Amritsar will undergo complete check-in, security screening, customs and immigration clearance at Amritsar airport itself prior to departure. Passengers receive through boarding passes and a single luggage tag to their final global destination and upon arriving at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport – the designated primary hub for this corridor – transfer passengers can move directly to their international connecting flight without undergoing repeated immigration or security checks. Meanwhile their checked luggage is transferred directly to the outbound international aircraft.

Global Connectivity Expands Beyond Seven Destinations

Previously, passengers flying out of Amritsar had direct international connectivity limited to seven destinations. The integration into the hub-and-spoke matrix immediately expands global access from Punjab to more than 20 international destinations via single-ticket booking.

Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said, "Hub & Spoke is not merely an aviation model, it is an opportunity model. Delhi will serve as the hub, while Amritsar will emerge as a major international gateway for Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh."

Three Lakh Annual Travellers Expected To Benefit

According to ministry data, approximately 3 lakh people currently travel annually between Amritsar and Delhi to connect to or from overseas flights. Airline projections indicate that nearly 250 passengers per day from Amritsar alone will immediately benefit from the seamless transit framework.

The rollout in Amritsar forms a cornerstone of India’s broader plan to build globally competitive home-grown hubs, reducing the long-standing reliance on foreign transfer hubs in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The long-term projection for 2047 includes providing around 16 million jobs, over $1.4 Trillion economic contribution and a nationwide integrated hub.

The inauguration ceremony included senior officials across government and aviation sectors, including civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, additional secretary Puneet Kansal Airports Authority of India chairman Vipin Kumar and AAI's chief advisor Sharad Kumar. Moreover, officials from Bureau of Immigration (BoI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Air India also joined the event.

With operational viability already demonstrated during the first month of Varanasi operations, civil aviation authorities confirmed that additional regional airports across India are in advanced stages of operational readiness and will be integrated into the hub-and-spoke system in subsequent phases.