Civil Aviation Minister K Ramohan Naidu today inaugurated the first Easy Connect flight from Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. The first hub and spoke flight connecting Varanasi to the world via Delhi is aimed at linking the length and breadth of India seamlessly with the world, and vice versa.

 

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the new hub and spoke model paves the way for a monumental shift in how citizens travel. He said that regardless of the city one lives in India, one can begin their international journey from their home city and travel across the globe with ease and confidence, on India’s own wings. He highlighted the development made by government in aviation sector in 12 years. He said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, number of operational airports in India has more than doubled, surging from 74 airports in 2014 to over 160 today.The minister announced that hat six more airports will be integrated into this Hub and Spoke model within the next six weeks.

 

The inaugural Easy Connect service, operated by Air India as flight AI1111, will depart from Varanasi this morning with passengers connecting through Delhi to several international destinations, including Dubai, Colombo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kathmandu and Phuket. The initiative is part of the Government’s new hub-and-spoke framework designed to simplify international travel for passengers from non-metro cities.

 

Under the Easy Connect model, travellers can complete check-in for their final international destination at their originating airport. Immigration formalities will also be completed at the point of departure, enabling seamless transit through hub airports such as Delhi without the need to re-check baggage or undergo repeated procedures.