Air India Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke Flights

Important Information for Your Journey

Clear immigration in your origin city and travel internationally without repeating the process with Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke. Services are available from Varanasi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, with more airports being added over time. 

Please note: If your itinerary includes a flight operated under the AI 11xx series you're booked on an Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke flight. Your check-in, boarding pass and immigration process will be different from a standard journey.

What this means for your journey

    1. Travelling from India to an international destination 

  • 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. Check your terminal in  advance here.
  • Please keep your boarding pass until you arrive at your destination, as it may be required for verification. Keep your boarding pass and a valid photo ID readily available when requested. 

  • Since Check-in and immigration will be completed at your origin airport, please arrive at least 3 hours before departure.

  • Since Check-in and immigration will be completed at your origin airport, please arrive at least 3 hours before departure

  • Web check-in is not available. 

  • Your checked baggage goes straight to your final destination.

  • Customs declaration is not available at the origin airport. 

  • Indian nationals must register on DigiYatra and pass through the e-gates at the Hub transfer point. To register, you will need a smartphone and your Indian SIM card of your Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP verification. Please set this up before your travel date. Passengers of non-Indian nationalities do not need Digiytara and would be assisted with manual 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 or photo ID accessible throughout your journey.

  • Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke doesn’t apply for your booking. 

  • Web check-in is not available.

  • Customs and immigration will be completed at Delhi airport, please arrive at least 3 hours before departure.

  • Some domestic flights under Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke may operate from international terminals. Check your terminal in advance.

  • Web check-in is not available for  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 Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke. 

  • Also note that carrying Kirpans in hand baggage or on your person is not allowed on these flights.

  • Web check-in is not available. Your check-in will be completed at the airport from where you can collect your physical boarding pass. 

  • Your checked-in baggage will be transferred directly to your final destination in India, so you do not need to collect it at the Hub transfer airport. For example, for a Zurich–Delhi–Varanasi journey, baggage checked in at Zurich will be collected in Varanasi, not Delhi.

  • Customs declaration will be completed at your origin airport (outside India).

  • Immigration and Customs clearance will be at destination airport for seamless travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Section 1: Understanding Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke
 

Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke 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 faster, simpler transit at the hub. 

Example: Flying Varanasi → Delhi → London? Your immigration is completed in Varanasi. At Delhi, you can proceed straight to the international transfer area without repeating immigration.

Important: 

Esay Connect applies to both directions - outbound (India to an international destination) and inbound (international to India) - as long as your flight is numbered AI 11xx, your ticket includes an international sector, and your connection is 4 hours or less.

Your booking qualifies if all the following conditions apply:

  1. You are booked to travel on an AI 11XX flight (e.g. AI 1111, AI 1112, etc.)

  1. Your ticket includes onward travel to, or arrival from, an international destination.

  1. There are four hours or less between your first flight’s arrival time and your second flight’s departure time. 
     

If even one of conditions doesn’t apply, standard check-in and immigration procedures apply instead. 

You can use the below examples to check whether your booking qualifies as an Easy Connect - Hub & 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 Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke Guidelines 

Examples for Journey from Domestic Origin to International Destination 

AI 1111 [VNS-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 11:15 hrs 

AI 1735 [DEL-PNQ] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:00 hrs 

✓ 

✘ 

✓ 

Not an Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - 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 an Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - 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 an Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - Hub and Spoke Booking 

AI 1111 [VNS-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 11:15 hrs 

No 2nd leg, journey ends at Delhi 

✓ 

✘ 

Not Applicable 

Not an Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - Hub and Spoke Booking 

AI 1111 [VNS-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 11:15 hrs 

AI 151 [DEL-ZRH] 

Departure time from Delhi 12:15 hrs 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - Hub and Spoke Booking 

Examples for Journey from International Origin to Domestic Destination 

No 1st leg, journey begins at Delhi 

AI 1112 [DEL-VNS] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:35 hrs 

✘ 

✓ 

Not Applicable 

Booking not possible / not allowed 

AI 2030 [FRA-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 21:15 hrs 

AI 1112 [DEL-VNS] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:35 hrs, next day 

✓ 

✓ 

✘ 

Booking not possible / not allowed 

AI 156 [AMS-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 09:55 hrs 

AI 1112 [DEL-VNS] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:35 hrs 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - 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  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: India to International – What to expect
 

At the origin airport: 

  • Check-in & immigration at origin: Your international check-in and immigration formalities will be completed here, 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.

  • DigiYatraCustoms declaration: The  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.

  • DigiYatra Registration: Indian nationals must register on DigiYatra and pass through the e-gates at the Hub transfer point, you’ll need to upload your boarding pass after airport check-in to the DigiYatra platform. To register, you will need a smartphone and the Indian SIM card of your Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP verification, hence its advised to have the app set up and registration completed before your travel date. 

At the hub: 

  • Since your immigration is already complete, your transfer is faster — no repeat processing.

  • Your checked baggage goes straight through to your international destination — you don't need to collect or recheck it.

  • If you registered for DigiYatra, use the e-gates to reach your onward flight. If you hold a non-Indian passport, go straight to the international transfer area, where staff will check your passport and boarding pass. 

  • Customs declaration facilities are not available at origin airports under Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke. If you are carrying high-value or dutiable goods that need to be declared, we recommend rebooking onto a flight that connects through an airport with customs declaration, where you'll travel as a standard domestic passenger.

Need help rebooking? Please call our Customer Support Team at +91 116 932 9333 or +91 116 932 9999 and our team will assist you with finding a suitable alternative.

Web check-in is not available for Easy Connect - 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: Install and set up DigiYatra before you travel. You won't have a boarding pass before check-in, so you can't use DigiYatra to enter the origin terminal — but once you've checked in, use it to verify your onward international flight. Passing through the DigiYatra e-gates at the hub is mandatory. You'll need a smartphone and the Indian SIM card linked to your Aadhaar number, for OTP verification. For guidance on how to install and register in Digiyatra visit: https://youtu.be/tAuiwasqF-k?si=U6kE3pjsYFRdrRzr

  • 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 Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke flights . 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.

Section 3: International to India – What to expect 

Note that for an international to India journey your booking qualifies as a Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke booking only if all the conditions as exemplified below are satisfied. 

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 Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke Guidelines 

No 1st leg, journey begins at Delhi 

AI 1114 [DEL-ATQ] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:35 hrs 

✘ 

✓ 

Not Applicable 

Not applicable  

AI 156 [AMS-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 21:45 hrs 

AI 1114 [DEL-ATQ] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:35 hrs, next day 

✓ 

✓ 

✘ 

Not applicable 

AI 156 [AMS-DEL] 

Arrival time at Delhi 09:45 hrs 

AI 1114 [DEL-ATQ] 

Departure time from Delhi 13:35 hrs 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

Easy Connect - Hub & Spoke - Hub and Spoke Booking 

  • Web check-in: Web check-in isn't available for this leg. You'll check in, and collect your physical boarding pass, at the check-in counter at your international departure airport.

  • Customs: As customs declaration would be done at the origin airport outside of India, no limitations apply on declaration of high value items.

  • Baggage: Your checked baggage goes straight through to your final Indian destination — you don't need to collect or recheck it at the hub. For example, if your booking is Zurich-Delhi-Varanasi, your checked-in baggage at Zurich would be available for collection in Varanasi and not Delhi.

Immigration and Customs clearance on the return will also be completed at your destination airport in India, not at the Hub — so your transit through the Hub will be seamless.  

Example: Flying London → Delhi → Varanasi? You won’t need to collect your bags at Delhi. They go straight to Varanasi, and immigration is handled there too.