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The Government of India’s Hub & Spoke programme allows eligible passengers to complete certain travel formalities at their origin airport instead of at the Hub airport where they connect. If your itinerary includes a flight operated under the AI 11xx series, your journey may follow a different process from standard travel.
Web check-in is not available. Check-in will be completed at the airport, so please arrive early to complete check-in before departure.
Departure and arrival may take place from the international terminal.
Please retain your boarding pass until you arrive at your destination, as it may be required for verification during your journey. Keep your boarding pass and a valid photo ID readily available when requested.
Please arrive at least 3 hours before departure.
Web check-in is not available.
Check-in and immigration will be completed at your origin airport.
Your baggage will be checked through to your final destination.
Customs declaration is not available at the origin airport.
Indian nationals must register on DigiYatra, keep the app active on their mobile phone, and upload their boarding pass after airport check-in.
Passengers of non-Indian nationalities must proceed to document verification at the transfer area in Delhi.
If your boarding pass for the international sector is already issued at origin, a fresh boarding pass will not be re-issued at Delhi.
Please keep your boarding pass and passport/photo ID readily available for verification during transit at Delhi.
Please arrive at least 3 hours before departure.
Web check-in is not available; check-in will be completed at the airport.
Customs and immigration will be completed at the Delhi airport.
Standard procedures will apply, as the journey does not qualify for streamlined Hub & Spoke processing.
Some domestic flights under this programme may operate from international terminals.
Web check-in is not available for Hub & Spoke journeys covered above.
Keep your boarding pass and passport/photo ID readily accessible throughout the journey, especially during transit at Delhi.
Customs declaration is not available at origin (spoke) airports under the programme.
Section 1: Understanding the Programme
The Government of India's Hub & Spoke programme allows eligible passengers to complete their international check-in and immigration formalities at their origin airport — not at the Hub airport where they connect.
This means a smoother, faster transit experience at the Hub, since your immigration formalities are completed at your origin airport.
Example: Travelling from Varanasi → Delhi → London? Your immigration formalities will be completed at Varanasi. At Delhi, you can proceed through the international transfer process without having to complete immigration again.
Important:
This programme currently applies to outbound journeys (from India to international destinations) and does not apply to inbound journeys (international to India).
Your booking qualifies for the Hub & Spoke programme if ALL the following conditions apply:
You are booked to travel on an AI 11XX series flight (e.g. AI 1111, AI 1112, etc.), and
Your ticket includes onward travel to - an international destination.
There is 4 hours or less connection time between the Arrival time of your 1st flight and the Departure time of your 2nd flight
All above conditions must be true at the same time. If any one of them does not apply, standard check-in and immigration procedures will be in effect.
Refer below examples to understand whether your booking qualifies as a Hub and Spoke booking or not.
Flight leg 1 | Flight leg 2 | Flight leg with AI 11xx series? | International Sector? | ≤ 4 hours between Arrival Time of 1st flight and departure time of 2nd flight? | Application of Hub and Spoke Guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AI 1111 [VNS-DEL]
Arrival time at Delhi 11:15 hrs
|
AI 1735 [DEL-PNQ]
Departure time from Delhi 13:00 hrs
|
✓
|
✘
|
✓
|
Not a Hub and Spoke Booking
|
AI 1850 [VNS-DEL]
Arrival time at Delhi 11:30 hrs
|
AI 1735 [DEL-PNQ]
Departure time from Delhi 13:00 hrs
|
✘
|
✘
|
✓
|
Not a Hub and Spoke Booking
|
AI 1111 [VNS-DEL]
Arrival time at Delhi 11:15 hrs
|
AI 161 [DEL-LHR]
Departure time from Delhi 00:35 hrs
|
✓
|
✓
|
✘
|
Not a Hub and Spoke Booking
|
If you are travelling only up to the Hub (for example, Varanasi to Delhi, with Delhi being your final destination), the Hub & Spoke immigration process does not apply to you.
However, since your flight operates under the AI 11XX series:
Web check-in is not available. Please collect your physical boarding pass at the check-in counter at your origin airport.
Carry a valid photo ID and arrive at the airport well in advance.
You must retain your physical boarding pass which would be marked with the letter ‘D’, throughout your journey, up until your exit from the terminal of the arrival Hub airport.
Section 2: What to expect when travelling from Spoke airport within India to International destination
A few important things are different for Hub & Spoke passengers:
4.1. What to expect at origin airport
Check-in & immigration at origin: Your international check-in and immigration formalities will be completed at your origin airport, not at the Hub.
Report early: As both check‑in and immigration formalities are completed at origin, additional processing time is required. Please plan to arrive at least 3 hours before departure.
No web check-in: Web check-in is not available for your flight. You must collect your physical boarding pass at the check-in counter at your origin airport.
Customs declaration: The Hub & Spoke programme does not have customs declaration facilities at spoke airports. If you are carrying high-value or dutiable goods, we recommend rebooking on an alternate flight.
4.2. What to expect during Hub transfer from domestic to international location
As your immigration formalities are completed at the origin airport, your transfer at the Hub airport will be more streamlined, without the need to repeat these processes.
Your checked baggage will be through-checked to your final international destination. You will not need to collect or recheck baggage at the Hub airport.
Indian passport holders will be able to proceed through the international transfer e-gates for their onward flights to their final destination.
Passengers of other nationalities are not required to go through the e-gates and can move directly into international transfer area at Hub airport where passport and boarding pass verification will be required.
Customs declaration facilities are not available at origin (spoke) airports under this programme. If you are carrying high-value or dutiable goods that need to be declared, you will not be able to do so at your origin airport.
In this case, we strongly recommend rebooking on an alternate flight where you will be able to travel as domestic passenger, connecting to a gateway city where such facilities are available.
Need help rebooking? Please call our Customer Support Team at +91 116 932 9333 / +91 116 932 9999 and our team will assist you with finding a suitable alternative.
Web check-in is not available for Hub & Spoke flights because your check-in and immigration are both processed in-person at your origin airport. You will need to collect a physical boarding pass at the check-in counter when you arrive.
Indian Passport Holders: Make sure DigiYatra is installed and active on your mobile phone before travel. Since you won’t have a boarding pass before reaching the airport, you cannot use DigiYatra for entering the terminal at the origin airport — but after check-in at Airport, DigiYatra will be used to link and verify your onward international journey. Passing through DigiYatra e-gates at the Hub airport is mandatory. For guidance on how to install and register in Digiyatra visit: https://youtu.be/-nlJBCwg0nM?
Foreign Passport Holders: DigiYatra is not required. Simply collect your physical boarding pass at the check-in counter at your origin airport.
Remember: Keep your physical boarding pass with you throughout your entire journey — from origin all the way to your final destination.
No — and this is one of the key benefits of the Hub & Spoke programme. Since your immigration and customs clearance are completed at your origin airport, you will not need to go through immigration again at the Hub.
Your transit at the Hub is designed to be quick and seamless — you simply connect to your onward international flight without the usual queues.
Example: Travelling Varanasi → Delhi → London? Immigration is cleared at Varanasi. At Delhi, you transit directly to your London flight — no immigration counters, no delays.
