Air India has opened bookings for its first flights under the Government of India’s hub-and-spoke model, introducing these as ‘Easy Connect’ flights, and enabling travellers from cities beyond major hubs to drop baggage and complete immigration at origin airport. Air India’s new Easy Connect flights will commence from Varanasi on 25 June 2026. As the lead carrier spearheading this implementation, Air India will be driving a phased rollout of Easy Connect flights across multiple cities.
Travellers from tier II and tier III cities such as Varanasi can check in at their home airport all the way through to their final international destination, with no need to collect or re-check baggage at the hub airport (e.g. Delhi). Travellers will complete international immigration formalities at their originating airport, avoiding queues and processing at the hub. Passengers will transit through hub airports like Delhi as international travellers, making connections faster and more efficient.
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