What is Air India’s ‘Easy Connect’? Ahmedabad joins network

Ahmedabad joins Amritsar and Varanasi in the growing Easy Connect network, extending seamless international connectivity to travellers across Gujarat while supporting India’s ambition of becoming a leading global aviation hub.

Through this initiative, more travellers across India can access Air India’s global network through Indian hubs, strengthening the country's connectivity with destinations around the world.

As part of the Easy Connect programme, international travellers from Ahmedabad can complete through check-in to their final destinations, clear immigration formalities at Ahmedabad airport, and enjoy seamless transfers through Delhi without having to re-check baggage or change terminals.

This enables travellers to fly via Delhi as international transit passengers, avoiding repeated procedures and making international travel significantly simpler and more convenient. By connecting through an Indian hub rather than a foreign airport, travellers can enjoy a more familiar and seamless transit experience.

Air India has designated the following two daily flights from Ahmedabad to Delhi as ‘Easy Connect’ services:

AI1121, departing Ahmedabad at 08:15 PM and arriving in Delhi at 10:00 PM (starting 1 September)

AI1117, departing Ahmedabad at 08:25 AM and arriving in Delhi at 10:15 AM (starting 2 September)

Together, these flights provide seamless onward connectivity to 26 international destinations within four hours of arrival in Delhi, including destinations across the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Gulf.

Air India will also soon begin inbound Easy Connect operations, enabling seamless international-to-domestic transfers via Delhi for passengers travelling onwards to Ahmedabad.

Commenting at the launch,Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Hon'ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India, said: “The expansion of hub-and-spoke operations to Ahmedabad is another step forward in our vision towards building a more connected, inclusive and globally competitive aviation ecosystem. India’s aviation growth must extend beyond the major metropolitan centres and ensure that the benefits of air connectivity reach every region of the country. By linking Ahmedabad with global destinations through Indian hubs, this initiative will support trade, tourism and mobility, while advancing our vision of strengthening India’s role in global aviation.”

Connecting Gujarat to 26 Global Destinations

Flight AI1117, the morning Easy Connect service from Ahmedabad, provides onward connectivity via Delhi to destinations such as Shanghai, Kathmandu, Dubai, Amsterdam, Manila, Paris, Colombo, Ho Chi Minh City, Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Milan, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Riyadh, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Rome and Zurich.

Flight AI1121, the evening Easy Connect service, provides onward connectivity to destinations such as Singapore, Seoul, Colombo, Bangkok, Hanoi, Phuket, Dubai, Toronto, Sydney and London.

P. Balaji, Group Head - Governance, Risk, Compliance & Corporate Affairs, Air India, said: “Ahmedabad is an important gateway for travellers from Gujarat that is home to one of the largest globally connected communities of Indians, with generations of families and entrepreneurs forging strong links with communities around the world, especially in the US, United Kingdom and Australia. The launch of ‘Easy Connect’ services from Ahmedabad is an important addition to Air India’s network and to the Government of India’s hub-and-spoke programme. By enabling through check-in, immigration clearance at the point of departure and seamless transfers through Delhi, these services simplify international travel for passengers from Gujarat. As the first airline to operationalise this vision, we are proud to support the development of India has a strong aviation hub and contribute to the continued expansion of the country’s hub-and-spoke network.”

Air India is leading a phased nationwide rollout that will progressively connect more domestic “spoke” cities in addition to Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Varanasi to the airline’s primary hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, unlocking seamless, end-to-end international travel for millions of Indians. In the coming weeks, Air India will begin Easy Connect services from several other Indian cities.

Strengthening India’s Position as a Global Aviation Hub

The Easy Connect initiative is part of a broader effort to encourage more international traffic to transit through Indian airports instead of overseas hubs. Of the nearly 25 million passengers who travel long-haul to and from India each year, close to 20 million are connecting travellers. Currently, around 85% of them, or approximately 17 million passengers, transit through foreign hubs rather than Indian airports.

By combining the Government of India's hub-and-spoke framework with Air India's expanding global network, Easy Connect seeks to progressively route a greater share of this traffic through Indian hubs. The initiative is designed to offer travellers a more seamless, familiar and integrated travel experience while strengthening India's position as a global transit hub.

Air India currently operates the largest international network among Indian carriers, connecting India with destinations across North America, Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Together with its extensive domestic network, the airline enables convenient connectivity from cities across the country to destinations around the world.

More about Easy Connect flights

Passengers travelling on Air India’s Easy Connect flights are required to complete certain pre-departure and transit processes to ensure a seamless journey, including mandatory DigiYatra enrolment for Indian nationals. Indian passport holders connecting internationally on Easy Connect flights are required to enrol in DigiYatra. Web check-in and Customs declaration are not available at spoke airports.

Bookings for Air India’s Easy Connect flights are available across all channels, including Air India’s website, mobile app, contact centre, and travel agents.