New aviation model to cut travel time, expand global access: PM Modi

The prime minister said the new aviation model will improve international connectivity, support regional development and create opportunities in trade, tourism and business

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Hub and Spoke international flights model will reduce travel time for passengers as well as being regions of India closer to global opportunities.

The Hub and Spoke model seeks to enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports with international destinations.

Under this model, Air India on Thursday launched flight operations from Varanasi that will connect passengers to various overseas cities through Delhi. Describing the launch of the first Hub and Spoke international flight operations as a historic milestone, Modi said better international connectivity creates new opportunities for trade, tourism, investment, education and business. "It enables people from smaller cities to access global destinations through a single, integrated journey while also supporting the movement of goods and services. This will contribute to regional development and strengthen India's economic growth," he said in a message.

 

The message was read out by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha at the inaugural ceremony for the first flight under the model that will be operated by Air India from the Varanasi airport.

According to the prime minister, the initiative will reduce travel time for passengers, make better use of existing infrastructure, improve aircraft utilisation and help ease congestion at major airports.

"Most importantly, it will bring more regions of India closer to global opportunities," he said. The message signed by the prime minister was also displayed at the airport.

Varanasi, from where the operations under the model are starting, is also the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Modi. "One of the world's oldest living cities and a symbol of India's rich civilisational heritage, Varanasi represents the spirit of our vision of taking Vikas and Virasat together. Improved connectivity will further strengthen its links with the world while preserving its unique identity," he said in the message. Passengers arriving from smaller cities will be routed through major hub airports such as Delhi for onward international connections. Outbound flights will carry both originating domestic passengers and international transit passengers.

India is one of the world's fastest growing domestic civil aviation markets.