NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Civil Aviation V. K. Singh said that the UDAN scheme has made significant strides in enhancing regional connectivity across India. As per his recent update to the Lok Sabha, more than 13.38 million passengers have benefitted from UDAN flights.
“Since its inception, over 256,000 flights have operated under the UDAN scheme, facilitating accessible air travel to underserved and unserved areas. The scheme has led to the development and operationalisation of 76 airports, including two water aerodromes and nine helipads, spread across different regions of the country,” mentioned the minister.
The UDAN initiative has also resulted in the establishment of 519 operational routes, including 53 tourism routes and 48 helicopter routes connecting hilly regions. Notably, 13 airlines, including startups like Air Taxi, IndiaOne, Star Air, FlyBig, and Fly91, have commenced operations under UDAN, contributing to increased connectivity.
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To attract airlines to operate flights to underserved airports, various forms of support are provided by airport operators, the central, and state governments. These include exemptions from landing and parking charges, discounted navigation charges, and concessions on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) taxes.
The UDAN scheme has facilitated the acquisition of various types of aircraft in the country. Currently, UDAN flights use a range of aircraft including the 3-seater Tecnam, 9-seater Cessna 208B, 19-seater Twin Otter, 50-seater Embraer 145, 42/72/78-seater ATR, and Q-400, along with larger aircraft such as the 189-seater Airbus 320/321 and B737.
“Under UDAN, a total of 13 airlines have commenced operations, with notable newcomers including Air Taxi, IndiaOne, Star Air, FlyBig, and Fly91, reflecting a surge in entrepreneurial activity within the aviation sector,” the minister said.
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The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) in 2016 to improve regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country and make air travel affordable.
UDAN operates as a market-driven scheme where airlines submit proposals based on their assessment of demand for specific routes during bidding under the programme.