Air India has launched its ‘Easy Connect’ service from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, significantly expanding air travel options for passengers in Punjab. This new initiative connects the state to 27 international destinations via seamless onward travel from Delhi, operating under the Indian government’s hub-and-spoke aviation model.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that the ‘Easy Connect’ service allows international travellers to complete their through check-in and immigration procedures at Amritsar itself. This streamlined process eliminates the need for passengers to re-check their baggage or undergo repeated procedural checks upon arrival in Delhi, facilitating a smoother transit experience as international transfer passengers without requiring terminal changes.
The inauguration of the ‘Easy Connect’ service was presided over by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. He stated that extending the hub-and-spoke model to Amritsar aligns with the government’s broader objective of enhancing global air connectivity beyond the major metropolitan centres of India.
Minister Naidu further commented that this initiative is poised to strengthen India’s aviation ecosystem. He highlighted its potential to improve connectivity for Punjab’s substantial overseas diaspora and to stimulate growth in tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges between the region and international destinations.
Air India has allocated two specific daily Amritsar-Delhi flights to operate as ‘Easy Connect’ services. Flight AI 1113 departs Amritsar at 9:10 AM, arriving in Delhi at 10:40 AM, and provides onward connections to a range of destinations across Europe, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. Complementing this, Flight AI 1115 departs Amritsar at 10:00 PM, reaching Delhi at 11:20 PM, offering connections to cities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Present at the inaugural event were several senior officials from the civil aviation sector, including Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary Puneet Kansal, Airports Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar, and Air India Group Head for Governance, Risk, Compliance and Corporate Affairs P Balaji. Their presence underscored the strategic importance of the ‘Easy Connect’ initiative.
P Balaji articulated that Punjab is home to one of the world’s largest Indian diaspora communities. He noted that many travellers from the region currently encounter lengthy transit procedures when undertaking international journeys. Balaji stated that the ‘Easy Connect’ initiative is designed to offer passengers an international travel experience commencing from Amritsar with significantly reduced hassle. He also emphasized its contribution towards the government’s aim of positioning India as a prominent global aviation hub.
In a significant development, Air India also announced its commitment to being the first Indian carrier to implement the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s standard operating procedure for inbound hub-and-spoke operations. This procedural update is intended to enable seamless international-to-domestic transfers through Delhi for passengers travelling onwards to Amritsar. The inbound ‘Easy Connect’ model is anticipated to be operationalized within the next two months, further enhancing passenger convenience.
The airline has indicated that the ‘Easy Connect’ programme is a component of a phased nationwide rollout strategy. This strategy aims to extend similar services, connecting more domestic cities with its primary hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Following the initial launches in Amritsar and Varanasi, the service is slated for expansion to other cities including Ahmedabad, Goa, Kochi, and several others, progressively broadening its reach across the country.
According to projections by Air India, approximately 25 million passengers undertake long-haul travel to and from India annually. A substantial portion, around 85 per cent of these connecting travellers, currently transit through international hubs. The ‘Easy Connect’ initiative is specifically designed to redirect a considerable share of this passenger traffic to Indian airports by establishing efficient end-to-end connectivity through domestic hubs.
Passengers holding Indian passports who utilize the ‘Easy Connect’ service for international travel will be required to enroll in the DigiYatra system as an integral part of the booking and travel process, further integrating digital facilitation into air travel.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
