DELHI- India has announced plans to develop four airports as hub-and-spoke transfer points for international air travel.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR), and Rajkot’s Hirasar International Airport (RAJ) will serve as the country’s first designated hub airports, TOI reported exclusively.
The move aims to bring transfer traffic back to Indian soil from foreign hubs such as Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), Singapore (SIN), and Frankfurt (FRA).
Delhi (DEL) will be the first to go live under the new hub-and-spoke model from June 1, while the aviation ministry has started groundwork for the remaining three locations.
Airlines expected to anchor this model include IndiGo (6E), Air India (AI), and Akasa Air (QP), all of which already operate key bases at Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
How India Plans to Build Its Aviation Hub Network
The hub-and-spoke model will allow passengers from smaller Indian cities to fly into one of the four hub airports and connect to international flights without the friction that exists today.
Under the current system, passengers arriving on international flights must collect their baggage, clear customs, and re-check luggage for a domestic connection.
The new policy eliminates this process by transferring baggage through airside operations at the hub airport, removing the need for passenger intervention.
A senior aviation ministry official explained the concept with an example: a passenger flying from Raipur (RPR) to Oman via Rajkot (RAJ) would clear customs and immigration at Raipur itself, then board a connecting flight at Rajkot without any additional formalities. The same seamless process would apply on the return journey.
The ministry is coordinating with the home, finance, and external affairs ministries, since critical elements such as immigration, customs clearance, and security fall under their respective jurisdictions.
Why Rajkot Has Emerged as a Strategic Hub
Among the four selected airports, Rajkot Hirasar (RAJ) stands out as a strategic addition. It is India’s westernmost major airport, placing key Gulf destinations like Oman less than two hours away by air.
Rajkot sits at the centre of the Saurashtra industrial and trading belt, which generates significant passenger and cargo demand.
IndiGo (6E) is reportedly in discussions with the aviation ministry to provide both domestic and international connectivity at Rajkot. Sources involved in the planning described a Rajkot hub as highly workable, given its geographic advantage and the commercial activity in the surrounding region.
Shifting Transfer Traffic From Foreign Hubs
For decades, the absence of strong Indian airlines and world-class airports pushed transfer traffic to airports outside the country.
Flights from multiple Indian cities land during early morning hours at Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), Abu Dhabi (AUH), and Singapore (SIN).
Passengers from these flights then board onward services operated by Emirates (EK), Qatar Airways (QR), Etihad Airways (EY), and Singapore Airlines (SQ) to reach their final destinations.
India now believes the conditions have changed. The country has built large modern airports since the early 2000s, and its airlines have placed significant widebody aircraft orders.
IndiGo (6E) and the Air India (AI) group together hold a growing fleet of widebody jets capable of serving long-haul international routes. The government sees an opportunity to redirect this transfer business to Indian airports.
Seamless Baggage Transfer Is the Centrepiece
The single biggest improvement under the new policy targets baggage handling. For outbound passengers, those flying from a spoke city to an international destination via a hub can through-check their baggage at the origin airport, provided both flights are on the same airline or codeshare alliance partners.
For inbound international passengers, baggage will move through airside operations at the hub and connect directly to the domestic flight.
The aviation ministry confirmed that this airside baggage transfer system is a core component of the hub-and-spoke policy, designed to match the transfer experience passengers currently receive at foreign hub airports.
Expansion Beyond the Initial Four Hubs
The government plans to start with the four selected airports and expand the list over time. Each hub will have identified spoke cities in the initial phase.
The success of the model depends on airline capacity, airport infrastructure readiness, and smooth inter-ministerial coordination on immigration, customs, and security protocols.
Air India (AI) group’s ongoing transformation and the growth trajectory of newer carriers like Akasa Air (QP) will play a critical role. The government has indicated that a robust Indian airline ecosystem, beyond just IndiGo (6E), is essential for the hub-and-spoke model to deliver on its full potential.
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