Media365
Air India launched its first flights under the government’s hub-and-spoke model on June 25, 2026, with Varanasi serving as the initial trial point. The choice of Varanasi carries symbolic weight, as it is the Prime Minister’s constituency. The airline, which was privatised in 2022, is branding the service as “Easy Connect” flights, allowing passengers to drop baggage and complete immigration at their airport of origin before travelling seamlessly to international destinations across the Air India network.
The scheme has been in development for a long time. With this launch, the government aims to decongest Delhi, while Air India hopes to capture a sizable chunk of transit traffic—jointly giving a major boost to India’s ambitions of becoming a global aviation hub.
What does it mean for passengers?
Under the Easy Connect initiative, regional cities will be connected to Delhi in the first phase, with other metros following later.
Passengers boarding an Easy Connect flight will complete immigration formalities at their point of origin. This builds upon the existing “through check-in” facility available for flights booked under a single Passenger Name Record (PNR). By clearing immigration at the origin airport, passengers will arrive in Delhi under a status similar to international transit passengers. They can then proceed directly to their outbound international flight via transit security, saving time and easing congestion at the Delhi hub.
What should passengers know?
Both domestic and international travellers can fly on Easy Connect routes. These flights will depart from the international terminal at Varanasi, and will follow the same protocol at other airports as the scheme expands. Domestic Passengers must undergo standard security procedures but bypass immigration. International passengers must complete both immigration and security checks prior to boarding.
Air India has designated specific four-digit flight numbers starting with the AI-11 series to identify Easy Connect flights. The inaugural Varanasi service is numbered AI-1111.
From Varanasi, passengers can connect to 17 international destinations within four hours of landing in Delhi. The special numbering system will also help local domestic passengers identify these flights. Those uncomfortable with navigating an international terminal for a domestic leg can choose to avoid booking them.
Important travel guidelines
Air India has urged domestic passengers on these flights to arrive at least three hours before departure. Web check-in is unavailable for these flights for both domestic and international passengers.
Customs service is unavailable for passengers carrying goods that need to be declared. Passengers with an onward connection time exceeding four hours must still complete immigration at the Delhi hub.
Global vs Indian transit models
Different regions employ distinct immigration and customs procedures. In the Schengen area, immigration is processed at the first point of entry, while baggage is transferred to the final destination on the PNR. For departures, immigration occurs at the final point of exit, and internal security clearance usually remains valid. Historically, immigration occurs at the final point of exit from India. On return journeys, both immigration and customs must be completed at the first point of entry. This requires passengers to collect their baggage, clear customs, and re-check in for their domestic connection.
The traditional system will remain unchanged for inbound travel even after Easy Connect is introduced. While the outbound journey becomes much smoother, the return process remains identical to current protocols.
During its days as a state-owned enterprise, Air India operated “international connectors” out of international terminals. These flights used the same flight numbers as the parent international routes (example: Hyderabad-Delhi-Chicago or Chennai-Delhi-Paris) and carried a mix of domestic and international travelers.
International passengers cleared immigration and customs at their origin for outbound journeys, and at their final destination for arrivals. However, this older system still required passengers to deplane in Delhi without completing arrival procedures, while the airline segregated passengers based on markings on their boarding cards.
The current Easy Connect system modifies this approach, leaving room for further operational improvements.
Tail note
Achieving seamless passenger transfers in India remains restricted by multi-terminal setups at major metro airports, manpower shortages in immigration departments, and ongoing security and anti-smuggling challenges.
Nevertheless, the new setup marks a welcome step forward. The aviation sector will look for expansion in two directions: integrating more domestic airports into the program, and eventually making the return journey equally seamless.
