India, June 26 -- Air India on Thursday operated the first flight from Varanasi under the Hub and Spoke model, which seeks to provide seamless connectivity between smaller cities and overseas destinations, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the initiative will bring India's regions closer to global opportunities.

After inaugurating the first flight, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said such services will commence from six more cities in six weeks.

The model that seeks to make India a global aviation hub will enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports with international destinations.

Passengers arriving from smaller cities will be routed through major hub airports such as Delhi for onward internati...