The Indian government plans to extend the ‘UDAN’ (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional air connectivity scheme for 10 more years, announced Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu. ‘UDAN’ has led to the immergence and growth of regional airlines, generation of jobs and contribution to tourism, the minister said.

Under UDAN, 601 routes and 86 airports have been made operational, serving over 14.4 million passengers thus far. Notably, The first flight under ‘UDAN’ scheme was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27, 2017. This was from Shimla to Delhi. The scheme aims to provide opportunities to small regional airlines to scale up their businesses.

‘UDAN’ Scheme: Key Takeaways

• The UDAN scheme aims to establish air connectivity in underserved regional areas.
• The Scheme offers financial incentives to selected airlines, comprising concessions from central and state governments and airport operators.
• The government, under the scheme, provides financial assistance to selected airline operators through Viability Gap Funding (VGF).

Notably, the scheme was initially launched for the period of 10 years, and now the government intends to extend this for 10 more years.

What The Minister & Ministry Said?

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu was addressing a special event celebrating 8 years of ‘UDAN’ scheme. The Minister sad that ‘UDAN’ has revolutionized the air travel, connecting the regional parts of India to global destinations. “RCS-UDAN is not solely dedicated to offering last-mile connectivity to tier-2 and tier-3 cities; it also stands as a prominent contributor to the burgeoning tourism sector,” read the press release of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The scheme has successfully interconnected 34 States and Union Territories. A total of 86 aerodromes have been operationalized under UDAN. Ten airports have been started in the Northeast region, alongside with two heliports.