What happened: Amritsar added as a spoke for international hub-and-spoke operations
The Ministry of Civil Aviation inaugurated Hub & Spoke International Flight Operations from Amritsar on 29 July 2026. The Ministry presented Amritsar as the second airport in India to be integrated into India’s Hub & Spoke framework for international passenger movement, with Delhi Airport acting as the hub for onward international flights.
Under the hub-and-spoke model described in the release, international passengers can complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at Amritsar before departure. Passengers’ baggage is checked through to the final international destination, and passengers can transfer at the designated hub airport to continue their onward international journey without undergoing immigration or customs again.
Background and earlier position: Varanasi first; operational trial through Delhi
The Ministry stated that India’s first Hub & Spoke operations for international passenger movement began from Varanasi on 25 June 2026. The release adds that during the one-month period leading to the Amritsar inauguration, the system operated smoothly and received an “encouraging” response from passengers.
The release also provides a performance illustration from the Varanasi-to-Delhi model. Passengers originating from Varanasi were connected through Delhi to 18 international destinations during the cited operational period. The Ministry used this as evidence to support operational viability and passenger acceptance of the model.
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