NEW DELHI
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, launched international hub-and-spoke flight operations from Ahmedabad, making it the third airport in the country to be brought under the government’s expanding hub-and-spoke framework after Varanasi and Amritsar. The initiative is aimed at strengthening international connectivity from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, improving passenger convenience, optimising airport infrastructure and enhancing operational efficiency for airlines.
According to studies conducted by the Ministry, the development of aviation hubs could create around four lakh direct and indirect jobs and add nearly $30 billion to India’s GDP by 2030. By 2047, the cumulative impact is projected to support approximately 16 million jobs and contribute nearly $1.4 trillion to the economy.
The launch ceremony was attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
The hub-and-spoke initiative was first launched from Varanasi on June 25 and subsequently extended to Amritsar on July 28. The framework seeks to establish a seamless international passenger network centred on India’s own hub airport at Delhi, thereby reducing reliance on foreign transit airports.
Under the new arrangement, Air India flight AI 1117 will connect Ahmedabad with 22 international destinations, mainly across Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The evening service, AI 1121, scheduled to depart at 8:15 pm, will provide connectivity to 17 destinations spanning North America, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe.
Explaining the advantages of the system, Naidu said passengers travelling from Ahmedabad to destinations such as Paris, Toronto and Sydney earlier had to take a domestic flight to Delhi, make separate bookings, collect and re-check their baggage and undergo immigration procedures at the transit airport, while also facing the possibility of missing their connecting flights.
Under the hub-and-spoke model, passengers will complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at Ahmedabad before boarding their flight. Their baggage will also be checked through to the final international destination. On arrival in Delhi, passengers can directly board their onward international flight without having to repeat immigration or customs procedures.
The government has made the initiative a key component of its International Aviation Hub Strategy, which aims to establish India as the preferred aviation hub for Indian travellers by 2030 and position the country among the leading global aviation hubs by 2047.
Naidu said the initiative would also have a significant economic impact on Gujarat. He noted that nearly 1.6 crore passengers travelled from Ahmedabad to Delhi last year to board international flights. Improved global connectivity, he said, would provide a boost to Gujarat’s textile, pharmaceutical, diamond and gems, engineering and other sectors by facilitating easier access to international markets.
The minister also said Ahmedabad’s stronger integration with the global aviation network would help the city prepare to welcome visitors from around the world for the Commonwealth Games in 2030.
Naidu said the next phase of the initiative would extend hub-and-spoke connectivity to 22 additional airports, including Surat, further strengthening India’s international aviation network.
