hub-and-spoke

American  

[huhb-uhn-spohk] / ˈhʌb ənˈspoʊk /

adjective

1. of or designating a system of air transportation by which local flights carry passengers to one major regional airport where they can board long-distance or other local flights for their final destinations.

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hub-and-spoke British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: hub.  (modifier) denoting a method of organizing intercontinental air traffic in which one major airport is used as a feeder for local airports

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Etymology

Origin of hub-and-spoke

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Before transforming Ryanair, O’Leary made a careful study of Southwest and its no-frills, high-efficiency model, featuring a single aircraft type, point-to-point flying instead of hub-and-spoke, and quick plane turnarounds between flights.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

This contrasts with the conventional "hub-and-spoke" model, which involves flying passengers into hub airports from a regional, short-haul network, where they can transfer onto large planes for long-haul services on busy international routes.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

For years, Washington maintained a hub-and-spoke approach to allies surrounding China, nurturing singular relationships with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and others.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The agency is also forming what it calls “a hub-and-spoke health innovation network,” dubbed ARPANET-H, to help coordinate efforts such as clinical trials or tests of devices in community health centers or rural hospitals.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 10, 2023

“We even have an old-fashioned term for it,” Ohlhausen said, “the hub-and-spoke conspiracy.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2023