Air India has launched its ‘Easy Connect’ service from Amritsar, enabling passengers from Punjab to access 27 international destinations through Delhi with a seamless transit experience, as part of the Government of India’s hub-and-spoke aviation strategy.
The service allows international travellers departing from Amritsar to complete through check-in and immigration formalities at the origin airport, eliminating the need to re-check baggage or change terminals while transiting through Delhi. The initiative is aimed at making overseas travel simpler and encouraging more international traffic to transit through Indian airports instead of foreign hubs.
Two daily flights
Air India has designated two daily Amritsar-Delhi flights under the Easy Connect programme: AI1113: Departs Amritsar at 9.10 am and arrives in Delhi at 10.40 am and AI1115: Departs Amritsar at 10 pm and arrives in Delhi at 11.20 pm.
These services offer onward connections within four hours to destinations across the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, West Asia and Southeast Asia.
The morning service connects passengers to cities including London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome and Zurich, while the late evening flight provides onward connectivity to New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and Dubai, among others.
Supporting India’s aviation hub strategy
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said the expansion of hub-and-spoke operations to Amritsar aligns with the government’s vision of making international connectivity accessible beyond metro cities.
He said the initiative would strengthen Punjab’s links with its global diaspora while creating new opportunities for tourism, trade and cultural exchanges.
Air India also announced that it will become the first Indian carrier to implement the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s standard operating procedure for inbound hub-and-spoke operations, enabling seamless international-to-domestic transfers via Delhi for passengers travelling onwards to Amritsar. The inbound service is expected to begin within the next two months.
Nationwide rollout
Air India Group Head, Governance, Risk, Compliance & Corporate Affairs, P. Balaji said the service would simplify international travel for Punjab’s large overseas community, particularly those travelling to North America, the UK and Australia.
Following the launch at Amritsar and Varanasi, Air India plans to extend the Easy Connect programme to Ahmedabad, Goa, Kochi and several other Indian cities in the coming weeks.
The airline said the initiative supports the government’s objective of increasing the share of international passengers transiting through Indian airports. Of the nearly 25 million long-haul passengers travelling to and from India annually, around 20 million are connecting travellers, with nearly 85% currently using overseas hubs.