Aviation Hub Needs Trust, Efficiency and Security

India's aviation hub dream needs speed and efficiency. Above all, it needs trust if it is to become a global aviation hub. With new airports coming up across the country, passenger traffic from Tier-II and Tier-III cities is growing at a rapid pace and along with it, demand for connectivity to international flights is also increasing.

While this is a good sign, there is a need to address the causes of recent security lapses at Delhi airport, where three Italian passengers travelled to Munich without completing the required immigration process. This exposes the gap between checks and balances.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has said that the security ecosystem for the hub-and-spoke model has been thoroughly reviewed and strengthened to prevent such lapses in the future. The Civil Aviation Ministry has also issued a show-cause notice to Air India, while the airline staff concerned have been suspended. Mere suspension is no punishment. There should be demonstrative action, and the government needs to ensure that there was no systemic failure at any level.

The hub-and-spoke model is an important component of India’s ambition to emerge as a major international aviation hub. Under the system, passengers travelling from designated spoke airports complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at the originating airport itself. When they reach the designated hub, they can proceed to their onward international flight without repeating those procedures.

On paper, it is an excellent idea.

Imagine the advantage of a passenger travelling to Munich or any other country completing the entire international departure process at his base airport instead of undergoing the process after reaching Delhi. This would be a boon for families travelling with children, senior citizens, an,d those with substantial baggage as it would make travel less cumbersome.

It can also bring international air travel closer to passengers in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. If implemented efficiently, the model can improve connectivity, reduce congestion at major airports and make Indian airports more attractive as transfer points.

The government has begun the model at Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Amritsar. It is part of a larger strategy to make India a preferred aviation hub for Indian travellers by 2030 and a leading global aviation hub by 2047. The only challenge for the government is to integrate passenger convenience and national security.

Under the Spoke and Hub system, the responsibility of strict immigration checks is transferred to the originating airport. Once a passenger reaches the hub, the assumption is that the necessary international departure formalities have already been completed. One missed verification at one point can potentially undermine an otherwise elaborate chain of checks.

Therefore, strengthening the system cannot mean merely issuing instructions after an incident. It requires continuous auditing, real-time data sharing, multiple verification points and clearly defined responsibility at every stage.

Technology can play a major role. But the staff responsible for conducting the process also need to be highly accountable. Passenger records, boarding passes, immigration clearance and baggage information must be integrated in a manner where the passenger who did not complete the formalities cannot move to the international departure area.

A modern aviation system must be designed not only for normal circumstances but also for mistakes. Only then can the hub-and-spoke model be a successful step in making international travel easier.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gowri V

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A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.

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