New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The government on Tuesday inaugurated Hub and Spoke international flight operations from Amritsar, making it the second airport after Varanasi to be integrated into the pioneering ‘Hub & Spoke’ framework for international passenger movement.

Until now, passengers travelling from Amritsar had direct international connectivity to only seven destinations.

With the introduction of the Hub & Spoke model, the global connectivity of Delhi Airport will effectively become available to passengers right from Amritsar itself.

“Travellers will be able to access more than 20 international destinations with a single check-in and a single baggage tag, making the entire journey far more seamless,” said Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

At present, nearly 1.5 lakh passengers travel from Amritsar to Delhi every year to board international flights, while another 1.5 lakh passengers arrive from overseas via Delhi to reach Amritsar.

“As travel becomes significantly easier under this integrated system, we expect passenger traffic to grow rapidly,” the minister added.

International passengers can now complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at Amritsar before departure. Their baggage will be checked through to the final international destination, enabling them to transfer seamlessly at the designated hub airport to their onward international flight, without undergoing immigration or customs formalities again.

The launch follows the successful commencement of India’s first Hub & Spoke operations from Varanasi on June 25.

Over the past one month, passengers originating from Varanasi have been seamlessly connected through Delhi to 18 international destinations, validating the effectiveness of the initiative in simplifying international travel

“Delhi will serve as the hub, while Amritsar will emerge as a major international gateway for Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. With its strong diaspora connections and vast regional catchment, Amritsar is among the Indian cities that stand to benefit the most from this transformation in global connectivity,” said Naidu via a video message.

Amritsar occupies a unique position as one of India’s major international gateways, serving pilgrims, members of the Indian diaspora, business travellers and tourists from Punjab and neighbouring regions.

Beyond improving passenger experience, the initiative is expected to generate wider economic benefits by strengthening tourism, trade, investment and regional development.

Studies undertaken by the Ministry indicate that the development of aviation hub operations could generate nearly 0.4 million direct and indirect jobs and contribute an additional $30 billion to India’s economy by 2030.

By 2047, the cumulative impact is projected to support approximately 16 million direct and indirect jobs while contributing nearly USD 1.4 trillion to the national economy.

–IANS

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