Highlighting the broader economic and regional significance of the rollout, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu described the Hub and Spoke framework as an opportunity model rather than a mere aviation structure. He noted that Amritsar, with its deep diaspora connections and strong regional catchment, stands to benefit immensely from direct, simplified access to global travel networks. Following the successful initial launch in Varanasi, Amritsar becomes the second airport integrated into this nationwide strategy, which aims to boost regional tourism, ease long-haul transit for overseas travelers, and solidify India’s position in global civil aviation.

The Ministry added that over 12,000 shuttle departures facilitated the travel of more than 67,000 pilgrims. It also informed that over 2,000 charter operations served more than 11,000 pilgrims, providing safe, reliable and efficient connectivity across the Char Dham sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has accorded special priority to ensuring that every devotee undertaking the Char Dham Yatra can travel with greater ease, convenience and safety.(AIR)

In a social media post, the Minister said that India’s hub-and-spoke aviation vision begins with Varanasi. He informed that Varanasi is the first city to be integrated into the Easy Connect flights model. He also defined this as a significant step towards making India a global aviation hub, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of taking world-class connectivity beyond the metros.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the platform has recorded over 2.4 crore downloads and reduced average airport entry processing time from 15 seconds to just 5 seconds per passenger. By eliminating manual document verification and reducing paper usage through digital boarding processes, Digi Yatra has emerged as one of the most successful digital innovations in global aviation while also contributing to environmental sustainability.

Highlighting key measures, the Minister said the exemption of basic customs duty on parts and components used in civilian and trainer aircraft will address existing manufacturing bottlenecks and improve aircraft availability. He noted that enhanced domestic manufacturing is essential to bridge the connectivity gap, as the country’s growing airport network requires a larger and more affordable aircraft fleet.

Naidu also pointed to rising global interest in India’s aviation sector, citing partnerships such as Embraer’s collaboration with Adani Aerospace and Defence and a proposed tie-up between Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The Budget further proposes duty exemptions on raw materials for aircraft MRO in the defence sector and a one-time concessional duty measure to facilitate SEZ sales to the domestic market, aimed at accelerating growth across civil and defence aviation.

DigiYatra, an industry-led facial recognition technology, will be available across all entry gates and security zones at Terminal 2. This will allow passengers to simply scan their faces and pass through checkpoints.

Naidu underlined that ‘Yatri Sewa Diwas’ reflects the government’s “Passenger First” approach, rooted in Prime Minister Modi’s governance model of service to the people. He announced that all airports will soon be Wi-Fi enabled under the Digital India Mission to enhance passenger convenience. Stressing the importance of self-reliance and inclusivity, he urged stakeholders and passengers to support ‘Vocal for Local’ in aviation procurement and services as part of building a Viksit Bharat on the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat.