New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday launched India’s first ‘Easy Connect’ flight from Varanasi, marking the rollout of the government’s new hub-and-spoke aviation model aimed at providing seamless international connectivity to passengers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

The initiative is expected to strengthen India’s ambitions of becoming a global aviation hub while making overseas travel easier for passengers beginning their journeys from smaller cities.

The inaugural service was launched from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, marking a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to transform air travel accessibility for passengers residing in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Speaking at the launch event, Naidu said the initiative represents a major step towards building a future-ready and globally competitive aviation ecosystem. He said the new model would enable passengers from smaller cities to begin their international journeys from their home airports, making overseas travel more convenient and efficient.

“Today we take a major step forward towards realising our vision of making air travel more accessible and building a future-ready, self-reliant Indian aviation industry that is efficient, inclusive and globally competitive,” the minister said.

Under the newly introduced hub-and-spoke model, international passengers can complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at their originating airport itself. Passengers departing from Varanasi, for instance, will complete all departure procedures before boarding a domestic flight to a designated hub airport such as Delhi, from where they will connect to international services without repeating the formalities.

The government said the ‘Easy Connect’ initiative is designed to make India the preferred aviation hub for Indian travellers by 2030 and a global aviation hub by 2047. The strategy is also expected to boost trade, tourism, investment and regional economic growth by improving international connectivity from non-metro cities.

According to estimates by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, aviation hub development could generate nearly 0.4 million direct and indirect jobs and contribute an additional $30 billion to India’s GDP by 2030. By 2047, the cumulative economic impact is projected to support around 16 million jobs and add nearly $1.4 trillion to the economy.

–IANS

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