Delhi Airport Hub-and-Spoke Model: Readiness Discussed

New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday held a stakeholders' meeting to discuss the readiness of the Delhi airport for hub-and-spoke operations.

The hub-and-spoke model will also help in seamless connectivity between Tier II and III airports, developed through the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, and international destinations, according to an official release.

Currently, nearly 35 per cent of international passengers travelling from India transit through foreign hubs such as Dubai, London and Singapore. The ministry is working to develop Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai as global hubs.

"The hub-and-spoke strategy represents a shift in India's aviation landscape from being primarily an end-destination market to evolving into a global transit hub, thereby allowing Indian airports to capture a substantial share of transfer traffic that is currently routed through foreign hubs," the release said.

Delhi airport, which is also the country's largest airport, can handle over 100 million passengers annually.

The release said Delhi airport has initiated work on creating slot banks to facilitate quicker and more efficient passenger transfers.

Under the hub-and-spoke model, passengers arriving from various smaller cities will be consolidated in a coordinated manner and routed through major hub airports such as Delhi for onward international connections.


At the spoke airport, passengers will be issued two separate boarding passes, clearly marked with 'D' (domestic) and 'I' (international) indicators.

Customs and immigration formalities for outbound passengers will be completed at the first point of exit from the country, which will be the spoke airport.

For inbound passengers, customs and immigration processes will take place at the final point of entry into the country, which will again be the spoke airport.

Also, under the model, baggage for both inbound and outbound international passengers will be transferred seamlessly through airside operations at the hub airport.

"In order to maintain operational efficiency and regulatory clarity, combination flights will not be permitted, and separate aircraft will be deployed for the domestic and international segments of hub-and-spoke operations," the release said.

By 2047, Naidu said the cumulative impact of the hub-and-spoke model is projected to generate approximately 16 million direct and indirect jobs and contribute nearly USD 1.4 trillion to the Indian economy.

During the review meeting at the Delhi airport, Naidu said the country's unique geographical location between the eastern and western hemispheres provides a natural advantage in emerging as a global transit hub.

The strategy has been developed after extensive deliberations, he said and expressed his gratitude to Home Minister Amit Shah for his active support in advancing the proposal.