Flyers from Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh no longer have to trek to Delhi to catch an international flight. Air India has switched on its “Easy Connect” hub-and-spoke service at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport, linking the city directly to 27 destinations across North America, the UK, Europe, and Australia.
Why Amritsar Was Chosen
Speaking virtually at the launch, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu pointed to the numbers behind the decision: roughly 150,000 passengers travel from Amritsar to Delhi every year just to board international flights, and a similar number land in Delhi from abroad before heading on to Amritsar. Cutting out that extra domestic leg is the whole point of the new hub.
Naidu called Amritsar the future international gateway for North India, noting that the region’s diaspora connections make it a natural fit — of the roughly 30 million Indians living abroad, close to 10 million trace their roots to Punjab. Better air links, he said, should translate into a direct economic boost for the city.
How It Works
Two daily Easy Connect flights are now running out of Amritsar under the hub-and-spoke model, which routes passengers through a connecting flight rather than requiring separate, self-booked legs. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and Airports Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar joined the launch, framing the hub as a government priority aimed at smoothing the journey for international travelers flying out of their home state.
A few things passengers should know before booking:
- DigiYatra enrolment is mandatory for Indian nationals connecting internationally on Easy Connect flights
- Travelers must complete required pre-departure and transit steps to keep the connection seamless
- Tickets can be booked through Air India’s website, mobile app, contact centre, or travel agents
The Bigger Picture
The move plugs Amritsar into Air India’s broader network strategy, positioning the city as more than a regional airport and giving Punjab, J&K, and Himachal Pradesh a shorter, simpler path to the world.
