Amritsar set to become second 'Easy Connect' hub under Centre's hub-and-spoke policy
International passengers travelling on Air India will be able to complete immigration formalities at Amritsar before boarding domestic flights to Delhi
Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport will become the country's second airport after Varanasi to be brought under the Government of India's new Hub-and-Spoke international connectivity policy, with Air India set to launch its 'Easy Connect' service from July 28.
Under the new arrangement, international passengers travelling on Air India will be able to complete immigration formalities at Amritsar before boarding domestic flights to Delhi, enabling seamless onward connections to international destinations from the national capital.
As part of the initiative, Air India will operate two daily flights from Amritsar to Delhi under new flight numbers. Flight AI 1113 will depart Amritsar at 9.10 am and arrive in Delhi at 10.40 am, replacing the existing AI 496 service while retaining the same schedule. A second service, AI 1115, will leave Amritsar at 10 pm and reach Delhi at 11.20 pm, replacing AI 2574 with unchanged timings.
The airline said the move operationalises the Centre's new international connectivity model aimed at improving access to global destinations from regional airports through a hub-and-spoke network. The initiative is expected to reduce transit hassles for international passengers from Punjab and neighbouring regions by integrating domestic and international travel under a single Air India network.
The service will be formally inaugurated at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport on Tuesday morning by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu. Airports Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar is also expected to address the gathering.
The launch marks a significant boost to international air connectivity from Amritsar, which serves a large catchment area across Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and parts of neighbouring states, besides a sizeable overseas Punjabi diaspora. The initiative is expected to strengthen the airport's role as a key international gateway in northern India.
