Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport became India's second airport to operate under the Centre's Hub & Spoke international connectivity policy, following its launch at Varanasi on June 25. Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu formally inaugurated the service on July 28, giving Amritsar passengers single check-in access to over 20 international destinations via Delhi.
What happened
Under the Hub & Spoke model, international passengers flying out of Amritsar can now complete immigration, customs, and check-in formalities at Amritsar itself before boarding a domestic Air India flight to Delhi, per the Tribune's reporting. Their baggage is checked through to the final international destination, and they transfer at Delhi to their onward international flight without repeating immigration or customs procedures.
Two specific flights carry the new arrangement: AI 1113, departing Amritsar at 9:10 AM and arriving Delhi 10:40 AM (replacing AI 496), and AI 1115, departing Amritsar at 10:00 PM and landing in Delhi at 11:20 PM (replacing AI 2574), according to IANS. Previously, Amritsar had direct international connectivity to only seven destinations; the new arrangement extends that to more than 20. The initiative is designed to serve Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and the wider Punjabi diaspora abroad — a catchment that currently sends around 1.5 lakh passengers a year to Delhi just to catch international flights, and receives a similar number arriving via Delhi to reach Amritsar.
Why it matters
For travellers in Punjab and neighbouring states, the alternative to Hub & Spoke has long been a separate domestic leg to Delhi followed by a full re-check-in for the international flight — extra time, extra baggage handling, and extra room for delays. Folding both legs into one ticketed, single-check-in journey removes a genuine friction point for a region with one of India's largest outbound and NRI-return travel bases.
What this means for your trip
If you're flying internationally out of Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, or Himachal Pradesh, check whether your Delhi connection is now bookable as a Hub & Spoke itinerary through Air India rather than as two separate tickets — it should mean one baggage check and one immigration process instead of two. Since only two Amritsar-Delhi flights currently carry the designation, build in some schedule flexibility until more flights are added to the program.
"Previously, passengers travelling from Amritsar had direct international connectivity to only seven destinations," but the new arrangement gives access to "more than 20 international destinations with a single check-in and a single baggage tag" — reporting via ProKerala/PTI
The bottom line
Amritsar joining the Hub & Spoke network is part of a broader push to extend single-check-in international travel beyond India's biggest metro airports. Expect more regional airports to follow as the government scales this model — worth checking before your next Amritsar-origin international trip.
