India is contemplating the development of regional airport hubs to seamlessly connect passengers from far-flung locations to major transit centres such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
According to sources, the plan being contemplated under the ambitious ‘Hub Strategy’ aims to ensure seamless movement of domestic travellers onto long-haul international flights.
“The idea behind regional hubs is to reduce layover times, improve connectivity, and allow for a smoother transit experience between domestic and international flights and vice versa,” sources told businessline.
“Not all airports can become major hubs. However, apart from providing primary connectivity, they can also be used for immigration procedures and security clearance before passengers reach major hubs,” said sources.
Besides, sources said, some regional hubs will also have the added advantage of providing direct connectivity with a particular international region.
“A regional hub in Uttar Pradesh or Kerala will be able to provide seamless connectivity between a tier II airport and the Middle East region,” sources said.
A hub airport synergises both the domestic and international operations in a manner that passengers can transit from one to the other in a seamless manner.
Well-synchronised flight connectivity
The hub requires well-synchronised flight connectivity to regional airports besides metro, road, and highway connections.
The principles of hub-and-spoke model applies to both major and regional airports, however, the latter mostly facilitates flights to and from smaller cities with limited passenger traffic.
Accordingly, these passengers coming in from various smaller cities are batched together and then transferred in a synchronised manner to major hubs like Delhi to take international flights.
Notably, the Centre has established a platform under which industry participants and various ministries are engaged to make a strategy to develop hub airports in the country.
At present, there are no international hub airports in the country. This has led to a substantial volume of passenger traffic from India to transit via the Middle East and South-east Asia to reach far-off destinations.
Furthermore, sources cited that the development of regional hubs will mitigate the need for multiple security screenings and immigration formalities at transit points.
“We are working on simplified regulations in consultation with the industry to ensure a hassle-free travel experience,” sources said.
“Proposed measures include faster security checks, improved baggage handling, and better inter-terminal connectivity. Airlines and airport authorities are also coordinating to introduce a seamless passenger movement framework that aligns with global standards.”
The aim, sources said, is to make India-based airports as competitive as Dubai and Singapore.
“A traveller flying from Lucknow to New York via Delhi currently has to go through security and immigration checks multiple times. With the new hub strategy, these procedures will be streamlined, significantly improving efficiency and attracting more international carriers,” sources said.
“The hub airport consultative committee is working on a more efficient slot bank system to accelerate the development process.”
In aviation parlance, a slot bank system allows airlines to schedule domestic as well as international flights from abroad to arrive at a hub airport within a specific timeframe. This process gives passengers time to transit from domestic or international flights to onward connections.
The system minimises waiting times, allowing for quicker and hassle-free travel.
“Some major airlines in the country have already begun using the slot bank system to provide seamless international connections for passengers flying from South-east Asia via Delhi to Europe,”
“Our consultative committee, which includes airports and airlines, is actively monitoring infrastructure developments to support full-fledged hub operations.”
As per sources, the hub strategy is expected to be fully implemented within the next six months.
“Major airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru will play a crucial role in this transformation, and authorities are working on infrastructure enhancements to accommodate increased passenger and cargo traffic.”
