Ahmedabad: Building airports is no longer the biggest challenge for India’s aviation sector; connecting them effectively to domestic and international networks is, Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday.Speaking at the launch of the hub-and-spoke model at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad, Naidu said the model would provide passengers from the city access to international destinations through Delhi while making travel more seamless.“The challenge is no longer simply building airports. The real challenge is how effectively we connect these terminals and airports, both domestically and internationally,” he said.Ahmedabad is the third city after Varanasi and Amritsar where the hub-and-spoke model has been launched. Under the model, international connections available from Delhi will effectively be accessible to passengers from Ahmedabad, Naidu said.“We are launching services to around 15 such destinations today, involving two flights from here – one in the morning and one in the evening, connecting via Delhi,” he said.The minister said baggage handling and immigration formalities for passengers travelling onwards internationally would be managed at Ahmedabad, reducing the need for passengers to undergo the process again at Delhi. “This is what seamless connectivity means. We have launched this in India today through the hub-and-spoke model,” Naidu said.He said the model would also help address difficulties faced by passengers who travel from Ahmedabad to Delhi on domestic flights before taking international connections.“Having started with two, we considered which city would yield the best results for a third location. As we traced our finger across the map of India, there was only one place where it could stop: Ahmedabad,” Naidu said.He attributed the demand to the large Gujarati diaspora across the world. “I am fully confident that the figures we see here will surpass those of any other airport in the country implementing the hub-and-spoke model at this scale. Ahmedabad holds this immense potential,” Naidu said.The minister said govt would soon work towards enabling seamless international-to-domestic transfers at Ahmedabad, with immigration formalities completed at the city airport.“This ensures end-to-end connectivity, allowing you to fully utilise the international airport facilities starting right from your local area,” he said.He said Gujarat was playing a key role in the country’s aviation growth through new airports, flying training organisations, skill development and cargo-focused infrastructure. “Gujarat is playing a pivotal role in India’s civil aviation growth, and the state is leading the way,” he said.Naidu said Ahmedabad’s expanded connectivity would support sectors including hospitality, textiles, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, engineering, semiconductors and manufacturing.“When you consider all these factors — especially with the Commonwealth Games coming up in 2030 — this hub-and-spoke connectivity becomes extremely important for Ahmedabad,” he said. The minister also urged local trade associations, hospitality players and travel agents to promote the model and create awareness among passengers.“The responsibility for making this model successful does not rest solely with the ministry or govt. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders,” Naidu said.Naidu also announced measures aimed at improving passenger convenience, including the expansion of digital boarding passes for international passengers, 24-hour Wi-Fi at airports and initiatives such as the Udaan Yatri Cafe and Flybrary.
