Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal encouragement and message on the launch of India’s first Hub and Spoke international aviation service from Varanasi.

Sharing the Prime Minister’s message on social media, Mr Naidu said the initiative will strengthen India’s aviation hubs and seamlessly connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to international destinations through a single integrated journey.

The Prime Minister, in his message, described the launch as a historic milestone in India’s civil aviation journey. He noted that the initiative has commenced with Varanasi as a spoke airport, Delhi as a hub airport and London as the final destination.

Prime Minister Modi said the new model will allow passengers from smaller cities to begin their international journeys from their home cities with seamless connectivity through Indian hubs to destinations across the world, reducing travel time and eliminating multiple transfers. He emphasised that better international connectivity will create new opportunities for trade, tourism, investment, education and business, while contributing to regional development and strengthening India’s economic growth.

The Prime Minister also highlighted that the initiative will improve aircraft utilisation, make better use of existing infrastructure and help ease congestion at major airports. He congratulated the Civil Aviation Ministry and all those associated with the initiative.