Air India has opened bookings for its first Easy Connect flights, a new international travel model designed to make overseas journeys from smaller Indian cities more seamless. The service will start on June 25 from Varanasi, the first city to be brought under the Government of India’s hub-and-spoke aviation framework.
Under the new system, passengers travelling abroad from Varanasi will be able to complete check-in, baggage drop and immigration formalities at their departure airport itself before boarding a connecting flight to Delhi. It aims to reduce transit hassles, shorten processing times at major hubs, and improve international connectivity for travellers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across the country.
What Is ‘Easy Connect’ And Why It Matters
At its core, the Easy Connect model is built on a hub-and-spoke system. This means smaller cities like Varanasi (the “spokes”) are connected to major aviation hubs like Delhi, from where passengers can access a wide range of international destinations.
The goal here is to take the stress out of international travel, especially for passengers who don’t live in metro cities. Instead of navigating complicated transfers, long queues, and repeated formalities at big airports, much of the process is now moved to the passenger’s home airport. It’s a shift that could make flying abroad from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities feel significantly smoother and more accessible.
What Changes For Travellers
This is where things get interesting, and genuinely useful. Under the Easy Connect system, passengers can complete most of their international travel formalities right at their departure city. That includes:
Through check-in: You can check in once at your origin city and receive boarding passes all the way to your final international destination.
No baggage hassle: Your luggage is checked through to the final destination, so there’s no need to collect and re-check it at Delhi.
Immigration at origin: International immigration formalities are completed at the departure airport itself.
Faster connections: When you reach Delhi, you simply transit as an international passenger, with no long queues or repeated checks.
The First Route: Varanasi To Delhi
The first Easy Connect flight will operate between Varanasi and Delhi, marking the beginning of this rollout.
Flight number: AI1111
Frequency: Daily
Start date: June 25
This flight is timed to ensure smooth onward international connections within four hours of arrival in Delhi. And that’s key because the whole point is to make transfers feel seamless rather than rushed or stressful.
International Destinations You Can Connect To
From Delhi, passengers will be able to connect to 17 international destinations across Air India’s network. Some of the key cities include:
London Heathrow
Frankfurt
Milan
Rome
Zurich
Singapore
Kuala Lumpur
Manila
Phuket
Riyadh
Dubai
This essentially opens up global connectivity from Varanasi without the usual friction of multi-step airport procedures.
A New Identity For These Flights
Air India is also giving this network a distinct identity. All Easy Connect flights will follow a specific numbering pattern, starting with the AI11XX series. The Varanasi–Delhi flight (AI1111) is the first under this category, and more routes are expected to follow. As the model expands, other cities across India will gradually be added to the network.
What The Government Is Saying
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has described the launch as a significant step forward for India’s aviation sector. He highlighted that integrating Varanasi into this system is just the beginning of a larger vision to extend international connectivity beyond metro cities and position India as a stronger global aviation hub.
Why This Is A Big Deal
For years, international travel from non-metro cities has meant multiple check-ins, baggage transfers, and navigating large, often overwhelming airports.
Easy Connect changes that. By shifting key processes like immigration and baggage handling to the origin city, the model reduces congestion at hub airports while making the overall journey far more predictable and passenger-friendly. It also gives travellers from smaller cities a more equal footing when it comes to accessing global routes.
How To Book
Bookings for Easy Connect flights are now open. Passengers can book through all standard Air India channels, including:
The airline’s website
Mobile app
Contact centre
Authorised travel agents
What’s Next
This is just phase one. Air India plans to expand Easy Connect services to more cities in the coming months, gradually building a nationwide network that links smaller Indian cities directly to global destinations via major hubs.
If it works as intended, this could quietly become one of the most practical upgrades to how Indians travel internationally, especially for those outside the metro bubble.
(With inputs from various sources)
FAQs
1. What is Air India’s Easy Connect service?
Easy Connect is Air India’s new hub-and-spoke travel model that allows passengers to complete check-in, baggage drop and immigration formalities at their departure airport before connecting through Delhi for international flights.
2. When will Air India Easy Connect start?
The first Easy Connect service will begin on June 25, 2026, from Varanasi to Delhi.
3. Which city is the first to get Easy Connect?
Varanasi is the first Indian city to be integrated into Air India’s Easy Connect network.
4. Do passengers need to collect baggage in Delhi?
No. Checked baggage will be transferred directly to the passenger’s final international destination.
5. Can passengers complete immigration at Varanasi Airport?
Yes. International immigration formalities can be completed at Varanasi before boarding the connecting flight to Delhi.
6. Which international destinations are available through Easy Connect?
Passengers can connect via Delhi to destinations including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Milan, Rome, Zurich, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Phuket, Riyadh and Dubai.
