Ahmedabad, September 2: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on Tuesday that last year, 16 million passengers traveled on international flights from Ahmedabad to Delhi. With the implementation of the ‘hub and spoke’ model, Ahmedabad is poised to welcome international travelers from various destinations, especially in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2030.
The minister highlighted that increased travel will benefit Ahmedabad’s textile, pharmaceutical, diamond and gems, and engineering sectors.
Previously, travelers from Ahmedabad heading to destinations like Paris, Toronto, or Sydney had to take a domestic flight to Delhi, manage separate bookings, handle luggage upon arrival, navigate immigration lines at large airports, and risk missing connecting flights.
Under the ‘hub and spoke’ model, immigration, check-in, and baggage check-through will now occur in Ahmedabad, ensuring luggage reaches the final international destination directly.
This model is a crucial part of the government’s International Aviation Hub Strategy, aimed at making India a preferred aviation hub for Indian travelers by 2030 and a major global aviation hub by 2047.
Studies from the Civil Aviation Ministry indicate that developing an aviation hub could create approximately 400,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute an additional $30 billion to India’s GDP by 2030.
By 2047, the total impact could support around 16 million direct and indirect jobs and contribute approximately $1.4 trillion to the economy.
The launch of hub and spoke flight operations from Ahmedabad means that this rapidly expanding framework will extend to more airports across the country in the coming months.
Naidu mentioned that in this phase, hub and spoke connectivity will be expanded to 22 additional airports, including Surat in Gujarat.
The event marking the launch in Ahmedabad was attended by Naidu, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murleedhar Mohol, and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi.
The initiation of hub and spoke operations from Varanasi on June 25, 2026, marked the beginning of a new chapter in Indian aviation.
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