8-Dec-2022: Under UDAN, 453 routes have commenced, operationalizing 70 Airports including 2 Water Aerodrome & 9 Heliports

Ministry of Civil Aviation launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21.10.2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and making air travel affordable to the masses. As on 29.11.2022, after four rounds of bidding under UDAN, 453 routes have commenced, operationalizing 70 Airports including 2 Water Aerodrome & 9 Heliports. More than 2.15 lakh UDAN flights have operated and over 1.1 crore passengers have availed the benefits in UDAN flights so far. The scheme has been able to provide air connectivity to Tier-2 &Tier-3 cities at affordable airfares and has transformed the way people travel.

The UDAN Scheme is applicable for a period of 10 years from the date of notification of Scheme. The Government has set a target to operationalize 1000 UDAN routes during the currency of the scheme and to revive/develop 100 unserved & underserved airports/heliports/water aerodromes by 2024. The Government of India has approved a budget of Rs. 4500 crore for revival of existing unserved / underserved airports / airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India, Public Sector Undertakings and Civil Enclaves. Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Implementing Agency, monitors the progress for the revival/development of awarded aerodromes under UDAN and the same is reviewed by the Ministry in consultation with stakeholders time to time.

30-Oct-2022: Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates three flights connecting five cities in the North-East

Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia along with  MoS Civil Aviation, Gen. Dr Vijay Kumar Singh (Rtd.) has inaugurated the operation of three flights connecting five cities of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Mizoram.

The enhanced aerial connectivity in the mountainous cities of the five states of north-eastern part of the country will play a vital role in creating the ease of living for the residents of region and boosting tourism and trade.

In his inaugural address,  Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia congratulated the people of the region and said that today is a very auspicious day that we have taken such a significant step in the direction of providing air connectivity to every part of the country.

The minister further said that Union Government has given special emphasis on the air connectivity for the north-eastern region. In the last eight years, seven airports have been developed in the region. Under UDAN scheme, 14% routes have been awarded to the north-east. Under UDAN 4.2, about 18% routes have been awarded to the northeast.  A Rs 500 crore corpus has been dedicated to the air-connectivity of the northeast.  Under Krishi UDAN, 25 airports have been incentivised in the region.

Minister announced that under International UDAN, two new routes Agartala-Chittagong-Agartala and Imphal-Mandalay-Imphal will be operationalised which will expand the scope of air connectivity in the north-eastern states from national to the international level.

MoS, Civil Aviation Gen. Dr Vijay Kumar Singh (Rtd.) said that it is matter of great pleasure that this additional air connectivity is being provided for the north-eastern region of the country. It will facilitate the travel between the states and help people traveling for various purposes and contribute to the growth of the region.

26-Sep-2022: MoS for Civil Aviation Gen. Dr. V.K Singh (Retd.) inaugurates direct flight between Delhi to Shimla

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Gen. Dr. V.K. Singh(Retd) and Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Jai Ram Thakur inaugurated a direct flight from Delhi to Shimla at Hindon Airport, Ghaziabad today under RCS UDAN scheme.

The inauguration was graced by Shri Rajiv Bansal, Secretary MoCA, Smt. Usha Padhee, Additional Secretary, MoCA, Shri Suresh Kashyap, MP (Lok Sabha), Principal Secretary to the GoHP, Shri Devesh Kumar, Shri Vikram Dutt, CMD AIAHL, Shri Vineet Sood, CEO Alliance Air and other dignitaries from MoCA, AAI, Govt of Himachal Pradesh and Alliance Air.

To offer enhanced air connectivity between Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Alliance Air have recommenced the Delhi-Shimla-Delhi flight which will operate daily effective from 26th September 2022. This flight will operate with a brand new ATR42-600.

Initially, this flight of Alliance Air was flagged off by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2017. After operating for more than 2 years under UDAN, this flight was discontinued due to the renovation of the airport and the unavailability of suitable aircraft. Meanwhile, AAI has renovated Shimla airport and Alliance Air has inducted ATR-42 aircraft exclusively to connect airports of Himachal Pradesh.

In his address, MoS Gen. Dr V. K. Singh (Rtd.) said that this flight will provide convenience for the people of Shimla and Delhi NCR. The ministry is working to further increase this ATR connectivity from Shimla to Kullu and Shimla to Dharmshala. He congratulated the state government and thanked them for their support and cooperation.

Shri Jairam Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh expressed his thanks towards the Ministry of Civil Aviation for providing the ATR connectivity based on the need of the region. He further said that the state government is working towards creating more air connectivity in the state in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Flight 9I 821 will depart from Delhi at 0710 hrs. and arrive in Shimla at 0820 hrs. Flight 9I 822 will depart from Shimla at 0850 hrs. and arrive in Delhi at 1000 hrs. The introductory all-inclusive Fares for Delhi-Shimla and Shimla-Delhi will be INR 2141/-.

17-Aug-2022: UDAN Scheme of Ministry of Civil Aviation completes 5 years of success

Ministry of Civil Aviation’s flagship program Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) has completed 5 years of success since the launch of it first flight by  Prime Minister on 27th April 2017. The scheme was initiated on 21st October 2016 with the objective to fulfil the aspirations of the common citizen by following the vision of ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik’, with an enhanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and tier III cities.

In the last five years, UDAN has significantly increased the regional air-connectivity in the country. There were 74 operational airports in 2014. Because of the UDAN scheme this number has increased to 141 by now.

68 underserved/unserved destinations which include 58 Airports, 8 Heliports & 2 Water Aerodromes have been connected under UDAN scheme. With 425 new routes initiated under the scheme, UDAN has provided air connectivity to more than 29 States/ UTs across the length and breadth of the country. More than one crore passengers have availed the benefits of this scheme as on 4th August 2022. The scheme has also provided a much-needed platform to the regional carriers to scale up their operations.

220 destinations (airports/heliports/water aerodromes) under UDAN are targeted to be completed by 2026 with 1000 routes to provide air connectivity to unconnected destinations in the country. Under UDAN, 954 routes have already been awarded to connect 156airports.

On the occasion, Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said, “The Success of RCS UDAN is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to  Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik’. It has played a great role in the transformation of Indian aviation industry. So far under this scheme, we have 425 routes aiming to go up to 1000 routes, 68 new airports aiming to touch 100 airports. In next 4 years we are expecting 40 crore travelers through Civil Aviation in India. That day is not far when along with rail transport and road transport Civil Aviation will become the bulwark of the transportation in India.”

RCS-UDAN was formulated based on the review of The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP)-2016 and it was planned to remain in force for a period of 10 years. It has a self-financing mechanism with the development of Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF). Under this Scheme, RCF was created, which funds the VGF requirements of the scheme through a levy on certain domestic flights. This way, funds generated from the sector themselves stimulate the growth and development of the sector.

UDAN Scheme has benefitted a diverse set of stakeholders. Passengers have got the benefits of air connectivity, airlines have received concessions for operating regional routes, unserved regions have received the direct and indirect benefits of air connectivity for their economic development.

UDAN created a framework based on the need and led to the formulation of:

• Lifeline UDAN (for transportation of medical cargo during pandemic).
• Krishi UDAN (value realization of agriculture products especially in Northeastern Region {NER} and tribal districts).
• International UDAN routes for NER to explore International Connectivity from / to Guwahati and Imphal.

Lifeline UDAN - Lifeline UDAN initiative commenced in March 2020 during COVID-19 period and it helped to operate 588 flights transporting almost 1000 Tonnes of voluminous cargo and essential medical services to various parts of the country.

RCS-UDAN was awarded Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration under Innovation Category for the year 2020.  Republic Day Tableau for 26th January 2022 on UDAN was adjudged as the Best Tableau by the Ministry of Defence.

30-Jul-2022: Direct flight between Delhi and Deoghar flagged-off

The Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Minister of State for Civil Aviation (Gen)Dr V.K Singh (Retd) today virtually inaugurated the direct flight between Delhi and Deoghar by Indigo. The event was graced by Shri Hafizul Hasan, Minister for Tourism, Government of Jharkhand, Shri Nishikant Dubey, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Godda, Jharkhand, Shri Narayan Das, Member of Legislative Assembly, Deoghar, Shri Sunil Soren, Member of Legislative Assembly, Dumka, Shri Rajeev Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and many other dignitaries from MoCA, Government of Jharkhand and Indigo were virtually present.

The airline will be deploying its A320 Neo, a 180-seater twin turbofan engine passenger aircraft and is primarily used on Domestic routes. With this new flight launch, total number of departures from Deoghar will be 11 daily departure flights.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said, “Baba Baidya Nath Dham in Deoghar is an international religious heritage, and it gives me immense pleasure to state that my ministry has helped millions of pilgrims to visit Deoghar. Along with country’s hard economic power, we need to dovetail country’s soft power too. That’s the reason why major aviation infrastructure is created at places such as Ayodhya International Airport, Kushinagar International Airport and now Deoghar Airport. I would also like to congratulate Indigo for connecting smaller cities in the country and the day is not far when Civil Aviation will become the primary source of traveling in India. On 12th July, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced that Deoghar will connected with Delhi and today it is coming true. Flight is being captained by Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy.”

The minister further said “We constructed Deoghar Airport which is spread at 655 acres and constructed at a cost of INR 400 crore, making it the second airport in Jharkhand after Ranchi. We are also working on 3 more airports in Jharkhand – Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka taking the total number of airports in Jharkhand to 5. We have announced 14 new routes connecting Jharkhand out of which 2 routes – Deoghar – Kolkata and Delhi – Deoghar have been started and in the coming days, we will connect Deoghar with Ranchi and Patna. Along with this, we will connect Dumka with Ranchi and Kolkata. Bokaro airport once completed will be connected with Patna and Kolkata.”

The minister further added “425 routes and 68 airports, heliports, water drome have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme and more than 1 crore people, mostly first-time flyers, have benefitted from it. Over 1 lakh 90 thousand flights have flown under this scheme. Ministry of Civil Aviation has constructed 66 airports in the last 8 years which stood at 74 airports in the year 2014. We are planning to construct 220 new airports which includes Water Dromes and Heliports in the next 5 years.”

Minister of State for Civil Aviation (Gen)Dr V.K Singh (Retd) said “Construction of an airport in Deoghar was a long demand which was inaugurated on 12th July this year by our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Deoghar was connected to Kolkata only but now it will connect with Delhi directly. This will help facilitate seamless movement of pilgrims coming to Baba Baidya Nath Dham which will increase tourism in Jharkhand, and I hope that other airlines will adopt the same route for more flight to Deoghar.”

21-Jul-2022: Annual passenger traffic increased from 2.6 lakh to 33 lakh in five years under UDAN Scheme

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21-10-2016 to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country by making air travel affordable to the masses. So far, 425 UDAN routes have been operationalized across the country, connecting 68 UDAN airports including 2 water aerodromes & 8 heliports.

Year wise details of air passengers, who have availed the benefit of the UDAN scheme since its inception are given below:

1. 2017-18-   2,63,166
2. 2018-19- 12,40,896
3. 2019-20- 29,91,337
4. 2020-21- 14,98,066
5. 2021-22- 32,99,860

Government has approved the "Revival of unserved and underserved airports" scheme at the total cost of Rs.4500 crore for the revival and development of unserved and underserved airports of State Government, Airports Authority of India(AAI), Civil Enclaves, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Helipads and Water Aerodromes. The expenditure incurred upto 30.06.2022 under this scheme is Rs. 2610 crore.

16-Apr-2022: Civil Aviation Ministry’s “UDAN” scheme selected for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration

Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) has been selected for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2020 under the category “Innovation (General) – Central”.

Government of India has initiated this award to acknowledge, recognize and reward extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts and Organizations of State/Government. This scheme emphasises on Good Governance, Qualitative achievements, and last mile connectivity rather than only on achievement of quantitative targets. The award consists of a trophy, scroll and an incentive of Rs 10 lakhs.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will receive the award on 21stApril,i.e. Civil Service Day. A special event is been organized by Government of India at Vigyan Bhawan on the occasion of “Civil Service Day” where the representative of the ministry will be facilitated with the award.

Launched in 2016, UDAN scheme aims to fulfil the aspirations of the common man by following the vision of Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik, with an enhanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and III cities. In a short span of 5 years, today 415 UDAN routes connect 66 underserved/unserved airports, including heliports and water aerodromes, and over 92 lakh people have benefited from it. More than 1 lakh 79 thousand flights have flown under this scheme. UDAN scheme has immensely benefitted several sectors pan-India including Hilly States, North-Eastern region, and Islands

UDAN has a positive impact on the economy of the country and has witnessed an excellent response from industry stakeholders especially airlines operators and state governments. More than 350 new city pairs are now scheduled to be connected under the scheme, with 200 already connected and are widely spread geographically providing connectivity across the length and breadth of the country as well as ensuring balanced regional growth resulting in economic growth and employment to local population.

The scheme also led to development of new Green Field Airports such as Pakyong near Gangtok in Sikkim, Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. The scheme also led to 5% incremental growth in domestic passenger share of non-metro airports.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation plans and commits to construct 100 new airports by 2024 in India with 1,000 new routes under UDAN RCS scheme by the year 2026.

Recently, Ministry of Civil Aviation tableau was named as the best central ministry tableau for Republic Day 2022. The tableau of Ministry of Civil Aviation showcased Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) as its central theme.

4-Apr-2022: International Air Connectivity Scheme(IACS) to connect North Eastern States with selected international destinations

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched International Air Connectivity Scheme (IACS) scheme (International Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik(UDAN) with an objective to enhance air connectivity from certain States of the country with selected international destinations to promote socio-economic growth. This scheme is supported by the State Governments. The State Government of Assam, Manipur and Tripura have identified routes connecting Guwahati, Imphal and Agartala with selected international destinations viz. Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Yangon, Hanoi, Mandalay, Kunming & Chittagong.

Development and up-gradation of airports to international standards is a continuous process and is undertaken by concerned airport operators from time to time depending upon commercial viability, traffic demand, availability of land etc.

As on date, there are two international airports in the North East Region at Guwahati and Imphal which are operated by Guwahati International Airport Limited (GIAL) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) respectively. GIAL and AAI both have undertaken construction of New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) and other associated works at their respective airports to improve services including, increase in passenger handling capacity.  In addition, AAI has taken up the following development works to boost international connectivity to/from North Eastern Region:-

1. The new terminal building at Agartala Airport has been designed as integrated terminal keeping in view the future requirement for international operation.
2. Construction of a New Integrated Terminal Building for 2.4 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA), at a cost of around Rs.500 crore has been undertaken at Imphal Airport to augment passenger handling capacity, which has been declared as an International airport.

31-Mar-2022: 415 RCS UDAN routes are operational as on 27.03.2022

Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21-10-2016 to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country and making air travel affordable to the masses. UDAN is a market driven scheme. Interested airlines based on their assessment of demand on particular routes, submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN. So far, Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Implementing Agency, has awarded 948 valid routes to Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) across the length and breadth of the country involving 154 RCS airports including 14 water aerodromes and 36 helipads. Selected Airline Operators(SAOs) have operationalized 415 RCS routes under the Scheme as on date (27.03.2022), involving 66 airports including 2 water aerodromes and 8 helipads.

Total receipt/collection in the Regional Air Connectivity Fund Trust(RACFT) is Rs. 2458.95 crore and Viability Gap Funding (VGF) disbursed to the Selected Airline Operator (SAOs) under UDAN up to 21.03.2022 is Rs. 1784.39 crore.

14-Mar-2022: 405 routes under UDAN scheme

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21-10-2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and making air travel affordable to the masses. UDAN is a market driven scheme. An airport which is included in the awarded routes of UDAN and requires upgradation/development for commencement of RCS operations, is developed under "Revival of unserved and underserved airports" scheme. Airports Authority of India(AAI), the Implementing Agency has identified 154 RCS airports including 14 water aerodromes and 36 helipads so far under UDAN for operation of RCS flights. Airports Authority of India(AAI), the Implementing Agency, has awarded 948 routes, from which, 405 routes involving 65 airports including 8 heliports and 2 water aerodromes have been operationalized under UDAN as on 09.03.2022.

Besides Viability Gap Funding (VGF), other concessions from Central, State Governments and airport operators are extended to Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) to encourage operations from unserved/underserved airports/heliports/water aerodromes and to keep the air fare affordable.

While launching the UDAN Scheme in 2016, the Government had capped the Airfare at Rs. 2500 for a distance of 500 km to 600 km per seat under Regional Connectivity routes (equivalent to one-hour flight). The capping is subject to indexation as per the formula specified in the UDAN Scheme document.

13-Mar-2022: Daily flight on Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad route under RCS UDAN flagged off

Daily flight between the Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad route under RCS-UDAN scheme was flagged-off today. Fly Big was awarded the route under the UDAN RCS-4.0 bidding process. With this, 409 routes would be operationalized under the UDAN-RCS scheme.

The inaugural event was graced by Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Mr. Shivaraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister, MP(virtually), Smt Sumitra Mahajan, Former Speaker, Lok Sabha, Mr. Shankar Lalwani, Member of Parliament, Indore,  Ms. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, and many other dignitaries. Mr. Sunil Mendhe, Member of Parliament, Gondia, Mr. Ashok Nete, Member of Parliament, Gadchiroli and Mr. Dhal Singh Bisen, Member of Parliament, Balaghat also joined the event virtually.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that the UDAN scheme is fulfilling the Prime Minister's dream of providing air services to the common man. Under UDAN, 405 routes have already been made operational. The Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad route will connect Indore with the two states  Maharashtra and Telangana.

In the last one year, the aircraft operation from Indore has doubled while in Bhopal it has increased by 40 percent. Mr. Scindia said that 100 new airports will be built in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which will give a further boost to last mile connectivity. He said that the central government is going to bring Small Aircraft Scheme, which will further strengthen connectivity in tier 2 and 3 cities.

The airline will operate one daily flight everyday & will deploy it’s ATR 72, 78-seater turbo prop aircraft designed for shorter distance flights on the route. With this, Gondia will become their 14th UDAN destination and Fly Big is the first airline to connect Gondia with a scheduled commercial flight to other metro cities. This is also the first flight route for Gondia as prior to this it was not connected with any airports in India.

Birsi airport in Gondia was established as a domestic airport which is owned and operated by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and it is located at Birsi Village, 12 km northeast of Gondia, Maharashtra. MoCA has invested Rs 21 crore in the airport for re-carpeting of runway, procurement of Aircraft Crash Fire Tenders (ACFTs) and other equipment to operationalise the airport.

With the new flight route, people of Gondia and its adjoining areas will get direct air connectivity between Indore, Gondia and Hyderabad which will facilitate seamless movement of passengers between Indore, Gondia, Hyderabad and vice-versa under UDAN. With these new flights under UDAN, common people will get multiple options to travel between these places which will boost the tourism potential and increase the economic activity of this region.

18-Feb-2022: First direct flight between Delhi-Khajuraho under RCS-UDAN flagged off

First direct flight between Delhi and heritage city of Khajuraho was flagged-off today. With this, 405 routes would be operationalized under the UDAN-RCS scheme. SpiceJet was awarded the Delhi-Khajuraho-Delhi route under the RCS-UDAN 3.0.

The inaugural event was graced by Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Ms. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, Shri Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet, Shri Vishnu Datt Sharma, Member of Parliament, Khajuraho, Shri Om Prakash Sakhlecha, Minister of Science & Technology and MSME, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Kunwar Pradyumna Singh Lodhi, Member of Legislative Assembly, Malhara and many other dignitaries.

The airline will be operating flights on 2 days of the week – Friday and Sunday, and will deploy its Q400, 78-seater turbo prop aircraft designed for shorter distance flights on the route. SpiceJet is India’s largest regional carrier and the strongest supporter of UDAN scheme. The airline operates 65 daily flights under UDAN connecting 14 UDAN destinations to various parts of the country. At present SpiceJet services Gwalior and Jabalpur airports in Madhya Pradesh. With Khajuraho, it will be their 15th UDAN destination.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said, “Khajuraho is world’s pride, and it is the gateway for Madhya Pradesh’s cultural and art prowess and religious diversity, and it has a significant importance in Madhya Pradesh’s Past, Present and Future.”

The minister further emphasized “Apart from Khajuraho, we have 4 airports in Madhya Pradesh with Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur. In the past 7 months, Madhya Pradesh has seen 40% increase in flights per week, amounting to 759 flights per week as on 18 February 2022. Apart from that, 2 new FTO (Flight Training Organizations) will come up in Khajuraho which will help in training our commercial pilots. We have set our aim to construct 100 airports and 1,000 new air routes by 2024-25. Till now, 65 airports have been constructed, and 403 air routes are operationalized. Air Passengers also saw an increase from 6 crore in 2012-13 to 14.5 crore in 2021-22. We are fully committed to Hon’ble Prime Minister Vision of UDAN - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik.”

Khajuraho airport was established in the year 1978 with flight services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi. MoCA has invested Rs 50 crore in Khajuraho airport and advance facilities were incorporated in the airport with installation of instrument landing system, a 1,20,000 sq ft new terminal building, night landing facility, recarpeting of runway and new ATC towers. The flight begins couple of days before the start of the Khajuraho dance festival.

With the new direct flight, passengers from Delhi can visit Khajuraho and enjoy the historical as well as cultural heritage of the city. For passenger from Khajuraho, they will now be able to easily travel to a host of cities. It is identified as one of the iconic destinations for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference/ Conventions and Exhibitions/ Events) by Ministry of Tourism.

10-Feb-2022: 29 States covered under the Krishi Udan 2.0 Scheme

Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 was announced on 27 October 2021 enhancing the existing provisions, mainly focusing on transporting perishable food products from the hilly areas, North-Eastern States and tribal areas.  For facilitating and incentivizing movement of Agri-produce by air transportation Airports Authority of India (AAI) provides full waiver of Landing, Parking, Terminal Navigational Landing Charges (TNLC) and Route Navigation Facility Charges (RNFC) for Indian freighters and P2C (Passenger-to-Cargo) Aircrafts primarily around 25 airports focusing on North Eastern, Hilly and Tribal region and 28 airports in other regions/areas.

Krishi Udan Scheme is a convergence scheme where eight Ministries/Departments namely Ministry of Civil Aviation, Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Development of North-eastern Region (DoNER) would leverage their existing schemes to strengthen the logistics for transportation of Agri-produce. There is no specific budget for Krishi Udan under the Scheme.

29 States are covered under the Krishi Udan 2.0 Scheme namely, Andaman & Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

All the airports in NER States including Assam are covered under the Scheme. The main objective of the Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 is to increase the share of air carriage in the modal mix for transportation of Agri-produce, which includes horticulture, fishery, livestock and processed products.

The Scheme aims to ensure seamless, cost-effective, time-bound air transportation and associated logistics for all Agri-produce originating especially from North East (including Assam), hilly and tribal regions of the country.

2-Dec-2021: Krishi UDAN 2.0 focuses on transporting perishable food products from the hilly areas, northeastern states and tribal areas

Krishi UDAN 2.0 primarily focuses on transporting perishable food products from the hilly areas, northeastern states and tribal areas. The scheme aims to ensure seamless, cost-effective, time-bound air transportation and associated logistics for all Agri-produce originating especially from Northeast, hilly and tribal regions of the country. The objectives are to increase the share of air in the modal mix for transportation of Agri-produce, which includes horticulture, fishery, livestock & processed products. To achieve better convergence on various components catering to the development of sustainable and resilient Agri-produce value chains across various schemes of the Central and State Governments and their associated agencies as well as the resources committed by the private sector to improve supply chain competitiveness by

1. Providing more air connectivity (national and international) between origin-destination airports aimed at bringing in improved logistics efficiency.
2. Improving infrastructure and performance in processing of air cargo by all stakeholders, including Agri-produce, horticulture, fisheries, livestock products at airports and off-airport facilities, by regulatory participating governmental agencies (PGAs).
3. Imparting special focus to air freight of organic and natural produce of NER, Tribal and Hilly Districts.
4. Achieving better and timely mapping of Agri-produce production/ supply centres with domestic demand clusters and international markets in sync with the marketing strategies.
5. Promoting adoption of plant and animal quarantine and other regulatory requirements (at airport) in the export supply chains end-to-end.
6. Enabling paperless and contactless interface with all stakeholders through digitization and digitalization via integration with existing e-platforms and their creation as required.

Government has not sanctioned any budget for the Scheme so far. Primarily  the scheme was focusing on 25 airports of NER, Hilly and Tribal region namely Agartala, Agatti, Barapani, Dehradun, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Gaggai, Imphal, Jammu, Jorhat, Kullu (Bhuntar), Leh, Lengpui, Lilabari, Pakyong, Pantnagar, Pithoragarh, Port Blair, Raipur, Ranchi, Rupsi, Shimla, Silchar, Srinagar and Tezu. Subsequently, other 28 Airports of Airports Authority of India(AAI), namely, Adampur (Jalandhar), Agra, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bareilly, Bhuj, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Goa, Corakhpur, Hindon, Indore, Jaisalmer, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Kanpur (Chakeri), Kolkata, Nasik, Pathankot, Patna, Prayagraj, Pune, Rajkot, Tezpur, Trichy, Trivandrum, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam have been included in the Scheme.

Krishi UDAN Scheme was launched in August 2020, on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that it improves their value realisation. The scope of the Krishi Udaan Scheme was expanded by including more districts/airports across the country with an aim to extend benefit to the farmers. The Krishi UDAN is ongoing Scheme and agriculture products have been transported from the various destinations in the country. The Scheme is reviewed from time to time in consultation with stakeholders and appropriate course corrections, are made accordingly.

2-Nov-2021: Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurates first direct flight on Bhopal – Raipur route

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia today flagged off the first direct flight of Indigo airlines on Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) – Raipur (Chhattisgarh) route. Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, Shri Bhupendra Singh, Minister of Home and Transport, Madhya Pradesh, Shri Vishwas Sarang, Minister of Medical Education, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief & Rehabilitation, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Shri Ramakant Bhargava Sh. Sunil Kumar Soni, Members of Parliament also joined the event virtually.

On the flight launch, Shri Scindia said that “Yesterday, we celebrated the Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day, and today we are connecting capital of Madhya Pradesh with the capital of Chhattisgarh. Bhopal has always been known as the city of lakes and Raipur has its own natural beauty. It is only in the last 7 years that the development has attained movement in both the cities. Raipur airport holds the rank of 22nd busiest airport of the country and the dialogue for the expansion of Bhopal airport has also been initiated. It has been planned to develop a Cargo Terminal and set up MRO facilities at the Bhopal airport. The International airport license is also due for the airport.  Earlier, Bhopal was only connected with 5 cities, now it’s connected with 9 cities of the country. Soon, we are also connecting Bhopal with Rewa to bolster aerial interconnectivity of the state. Till last 4 months, Madhya Pradesh was only connected with 27 cities, and now it’s connected with 50 cities. We have unlocked 50% achievement in terms of aerial connectivity for Madhya Pradesh.”

The minister further added, “Under the UDAN scheme we intend to make the fares accessible for the common man to promote air travel for the masses. Till 2025, we plan to operationalise more than 200 airports from current 136 airports. Earlier due to non-availability of the direct flights, people had to travel for more than 12 hours to travel between the two cities. This new route will not only enhance regional connectivity but will also promote trade, commerce and tourism between these cities.”

2-Nov-2021: Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurates first direct flight between Bhubaneswar – Jaipur

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia today flagged off the first direct flight of Indigo airlines between Bhubaneswar (Orissa) – Jaipur (Rajasthan). Sh. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Sh. Vaishnav Ashwini,  Union Minister of Railways and Communication & IT, Sh. Padmanabha Behera, Cabinet Minister of Planning & Convergence, Commerce & Transport, Govt. of Odisha, Sh. Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of State  (Ind. Charge) Science & Technology, Public Enterprises, Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disability also graced the event virtually. The senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, State Governments, Indigo airlines were also present at the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Scindia said “Bhubaneswar is the city of temples. It is the religious hub for the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain communities. Moreover, apart from being a religious hub, the city finds its mention in the list of Smart Cities of the country. Bhubaneswar is one of the major IT & education hubs of the country. At the moment the Bhubaneswar is connected with 19 cities by 38 aircraft movements.”

The minister further highlighted that investment in aviation always brings a multiplier effect. Every Rs. 100 invested adds Rs. 325 in the GDP of the country. It further brings immense employment opportunities making aviation – a gateway of employment. The minister assured that the development of the new terminal buildings at a cost of Rs. 200 crores will be completed in the due course of time.

Shri Scindia added that as mentioned by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that by 2070, India aims to achieve the ambitious target of Net Zero Emissions. He said that we aim to implement sustainable energy resources to make all our airports green airports. “I am proud to mention that Bhubaneswar airport is 80% powered by solar energy, making it a stellar example for the country. Moreover, UDAN airports such as Jharsuguda are a success in their own. The airport recorded 1 lac+ passenger in a month.”

With the new flights on the route, the people of Bhubaneswar and its adjoining areas will get is direct air connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Jaipur, which will facilitate seamless movement of passengers. With these new flights between Bhubaneswar to Jaipur, tourists/ travelers will get multiple options for air connectivity which will boost the tourism potential and increase the economic activity of the region.

27-Oct-2021: Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia releases Krishi UDAN 2.0

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, Shri Rajbir Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Keku Gazder, CEO, AAICLAS, and Shri Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI released Krishi UDAN 2.0. Krishi UDAN 2.0 lays out the vision of improving value realization through better integration and optimization of Agri-harvesting and air transportation and contributing to Agri-value chain sustainability and resilience under different and dynamic conditions. The scheme proposes to facilitating and incentivizing movement of Agri-produce by air transportation.

Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation said, “Krishi UDAN 2.0 is an example of this government’s collaborative approach towards policy making. This scheme will open up new avenues of growth for the agriculture sector and help attain the goal of doubling farmers' income by removing barriers in supply chain, logistics and transportation of farm produce.”

Talking about the endeavor to accomplish convergence between the 2 important but diverse areas in India's economic roadmap i.e. Agriculture and Aviation, the Union Minister said, "We want to take the Annadata to the highest level, by adopting the model of A2A – Agriculture to Aviation. The convergence between the two sectors is possible because of 3 primary reasons – Evolutionary possible use of biofuel for aircraft in future, use of drones in agriculture sector, and due to greater integration and value realisation of agricultural products through schemes like Krishi UDAN.”

The enhanced version of the Krishi UDAN scheme was formulated with support from AAICLAS - a 100% subsidiary of the Airports Authority of India and Invest India, India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It offers full waiver of Landing, Parking, TNLC and RNFC charges for Indian freighters and P2C at selected Airports of Airport Authority of India primarily, focusing on NER, Hilly and Tribal region.

The Krishi UDAN 2.0 will be implemented at 53 airports across the country mainly focusing on Northeast and tribal regions and is likely to benefit farmer, freight forwarders and Airlines. The Ministry of Civil Aviation plans to be pilot the scheme for 6 months, and, will introduce amendments based on results of the evaluation & consultations with other stakeholders.

Key Highlights of KRISHI UDAN 2.0:

• Facilitating and incentivizing movement of Agri-produce by air transportation: Full waiver of Landing, Parking, TNLC and RNFC charges for Indian freighters and P2C at selected Airports of Airport Authority of India. Primarily, focusing on NER, Hilly and tribal regions.
• Strengthening cargo related infrastructure at airports and off airports: Facilitating the development of a hub and spoke model and a freight grid. Airside transit and transshipment infrastructure will be created at Bagdogra and Guwahati airports, and at Leh, Srinagar, Nagpur, Nashik, Ranchi, and Raipur airports as a part of focus on NER, Tribal and Hilly Districts.
• Concessions sought from other bodies: Seek support and encourage States to reduce Sales Tax to 1% on ATF for freighters / P2C aircraft as extended in UDAN flights.
• Resources-Pooling through establishing Convergence mechanism: Collaboration with other government departments and regulatory bodies to provide freight forwarder, airlines and other stakeholders with Incentives and concessions to enhance air transportation of Agri-produce.
• Technological convergence: Development of E-KUSHAL (Krishi UDAN for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics). Platform to be developed facilitate in information dissemination to all the stakeholders. Furthermore, integration of E-KUSHAL with National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is proposed.
• Total 53 airports are select for the first phase of Krishi UDAN 2.0. – the majority of them are operated by AAI.
• The strategic selection of the airports is primarily focused on northeast region. Additionally covers North, entire western coast and southern India (including two islands).
• Airports for implementation of Krishi Udan 2.0 are selected with the aim of providing benefit to the entire country Opted airports not only provide access to regional domestic market but also connects them to international gateways of the country.
• Development of E-KUSHAL (Krishi Udaan for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics). Proposed to develop a platform which will facilitate in information dissemination to all the stakeholders. This will be a single platform which will provide relevant information at the same time will also assist in coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the scheme. Proposed convergence of E-Kushal with National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).
• Facilitating the development of a hub and spoke model and a freight grid (identified locations for cargo terminals).

7 focus routes & products

26-Oct-2021: Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually flags off first direct flight on Shillong-Dibrugarh route under UDAN

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, MoS, Civil Aviation, MoS, Civil Aviation, General Dr. V K Singh (Retd.) along with Shri Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) virtually flagged off the first direct flight on the Shillong – Dibrugarh route under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN) of the Government of India.

Sh. Conard Sangma, Chief Minister, Chief Minister of the State of Meghalaya, Sh. Prestone Tynsong, Deputy Chief Minister of the State of Meghalaya, Sh. Vincent H Pala, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Shillong, Meghalaya - Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Dr. Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Shillong, Meghalaya, Mr. Dasakhiatbha Lamare, Minister Transport Department, Public Works Department (Buildings), State of Meghalaya, Sh. Sanbor Shullai also graced the launch event of the Shillong-Dibrugarh flight.

Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, along with other senior officials of the MoCA were also present at the ceremony held at MoCA.

Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation said, “Shillong is one of the highest & wettest places in the world. The place is important not only for the country but for the entire world. Shillong has always been known as Scotland of East due to the presence of rolling hills, caves, tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes and its rich heritage and culture. There’s nothing that Meghalaya does not have to offer. The place attracts tourists from all over the world.”

The minister further emphasized that “In 2014, only 6 airports were operational in North East which has now risen to 15 airports in 2021. Within a short span of 7 years, we have achieved this ambitious target. I assure you that this is just the beginning, we are further committed to enhancing the interstate & intrastate connectivity of North-East. Apart from promoting flight connectivity, our focus is on developing the infrastructure capabilities along with helicopter services for the last mile delivery. To ensure that we recently launched the Helicopter policy to further promote Heli Services in North-East. We want the bring the travellers from all over the country to North-East.”

The beautiful city of Shillong is surrounded by hills from all sides. Famous for the presence of many well-reputed educational institutions, Shillong is the hub of education for entire North-East India. Apart from being the beauty & education centre, Shillong also acts as the gateway to Meghalaya, the state famous for heavy rainfall, caves, tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, and its rich heritage & culture. Shillong is famous for Elephant falls, Shillong Peak, Umiam lake, Sohpetbneng Peak, Don Bosco Museum, Laitlum Canyons. Moreover, Shillong is the only capital city in Northeast India to produce two football clubs that participate in the I-League, namely, Royal Wahingdoh FC and Shillong Lajong FC. In addition to these, Shillong Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in the country.

Due to the non-availability of any direct mode of transportation, people were compelled to cover a long 12-hour journey by road & train to travel between Shillong & Dibrugarh. Now, natives can easily fly between the two cities by opting for a flight of just 75 mins.

The airline M/s Indigo was awarded the Shillong - Dibrugarh route during the UDAN 4 bidding process. The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people. The airline will deploy its 78-seater ATR 72 aircraft.

Till date, 389 routes and 62 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme. The scheme is envisaged to establish strong aerial connectivity in all States and UTs of the country which hitherto were not connected, laying the foundation of a new regional segment in India’s aviation market.

20-Oct-2021: PM inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport today.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that India is the centre of the faith of Buddhist society around the world. He termed the facility of Kushinagar International Airport, launched today as a tribute to their devotion. This region, the Prime Minister said, is witness to the entire journey from the enlightenment of Lord Buddha to Mahaparinirvana. Today this important region is getting directly connected to the world, he said.

The Prime Minister highlighted the special focus on the development of the places associated with Lord Buddha through better connectivity and the creation of facilities for the devotees. The Prime Minister welcomed the Sri Lankan flight and delegation that landed at Kushinagar. Paying tribute to Maharshi Valmiki on his Jayanti today, the Prime Minister said that the country is marching on the path of Sabka Vikas with the help of Sabka Satha and Sabka Prayas.  “Development of Kushinagar is one of the key priorities of the UP and central governments,” He said.

The Prime Minister said that tourism in all its forms, whether for faith or for leisure, needs modern infrastructure complete with rail, road, airways, waterways, hotels, hospitals, internet connectivity, hygiene, sewage treatment and renewable energy ensuring a clean environment. “All these are interconnected and it is important to work on all these simultaneously. Today's 21st century India is moving ahead with this approach only”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister announced that under the UDAN scheme, more than 900 new routes have been approved in the last few years, out of which air service has already started on more than 350 routes. More than 50 new airports or those which were not in service earlier, have been made operational.

The Prime Minister highlighted the development regarding the aviation sector in Uttar Pradesh as air connectivity is constantly improving in the state. In Uttar Pradesh, 8 airports are already functional before Kushinagar airport. Work is on Jewar International Airport after Lucknow, Varanasi and Kushinagar. Apart from that, airport projects are going on in Ayodhya, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad and Shravasti.

Referring to the recent decision on Air India, the Prime Minister remarked that the step will help in running the country's aviation sector professionally and prioritizing convenience and safety. “This step will give new energy to the aviation sector of India. One such major reform is related to the opening of defence airspace for civil use”, he added. This step will reduce the distance on various air routes. The Prime Minister also conveyed that the recently launched drone policy is going to bring life-changing transformation in the fields ranging from agriculture to health, to disaster management to defence.

The Prime Minister said recently launched PM Gatishakti - National Master Plan will not only improve governance but also ensure that all modes of transport such as road, rail, air etc. should support each other and increase each other's capacity.

1-Oct-2021: Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia flags off direct flight on Agra-Lucknow route under UDAN

To give further impetus to the regional aerial connectivity, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, Professor SP Singh Baghel, along with Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Shri Rajiv Bansal virtually flagged off the first direct flight on Agra (Uttar Pradesh) – Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) route under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme of the Government of India.

Shri Nand Gopal Gupta, Cabinet Minister, Civil Aviation, Govt of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Udaybhan Singh, Minister of State for MSME, Export Promotion, Textile & Handloom, Resham Udyog, khadi & Gramodyog, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, Shri GS Dharmesh, Minister of State for Social Welfare, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Hardwar Dubey, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, also graced the event virtually from the Agra airport.

Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, along with other senior officials of the MoCA & AAI were also present at the ceremony held at MoCA.

Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation said, “I congratulate the people of Agra for the direct connectivity with Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. Both the cities are a perfect blend of possessing immense historic, economic & tourism potential. Agra & Lucknow are not only significant for Uttar Pradesh, but also for the entire world, for various reasons. With new flights, the time taken of 4-hour travel between the two cities has now been reduced to just 1 hour flight. I am also delighted to announce additional flights from Kanpur & Lucknow in the coming months. I assure the people of Uttar Pradesh that these are just initial steps for strengthening of aerial connectivity of the state, we are committed to do much more under the UDAN - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik Scheme launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Under the initiative, we are establishing aerial connectivity between cities with metros, and then bolstering the interstate connectivity.”

Agra Airport, Uttar Pradesh is a Civil Enclave owned by the Indian Air Force and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Lucknow has become the third city connected with Agra via direct flights after Ahmedabad & Bangalore. The airline M/S Indigo airlines was awarded the Agra – Lucknow route under the UDAN 3.0. The airline will deploy its ATR 72 aircraft on the route.

Lucknow along with Agra and Varanasi is part of the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc, a chain of survey triangulations created by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to boost tourism in the state. Moreover, the city is known for its booming tourism industry along with footwear, leather, and other manufacturing units. The Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort are UNESCO World Heritage Sites that receive visitors from all over the world. These new flights will provide more travel options for the tourists and common people to travel on these sectors which will boost the economy of the region.

Moreover, under the Gati Shakti plan of the Government of India, all infrastructural developments will help raise the global profile of local manufacturers and help them compete with their counterparts worldwide. It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones.

Till date, 371 routes and 60 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme.

1-Sep-2021: Improving regional connectivity under UDAN

Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation has written to Chief Ministers of Manipur and Haryana, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Jammu & Kashmir and Administrator of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, for their personal intervention in expediting aviation infrastructure under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). The RCS – UDAN scheme was launched by Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016 to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country by making air travel affordable to the masses.

While writing to Shri N. Biren Singh Chief Minister of Manipur, Shri Scindia has mentioned that Airports Authority of India has awarded heliports at Jiribam, Tamenglong, Moren, Parbung and Thanlon for connecting various destinations in NER under UDAN Scheme.  These heliports are to be developed by the State Government. He further informed that  the Ministry has earmarked Rs. 15 crore for Jiribam, Rs. 8 crore for Moreh, Rs. 8.5 crore for Parbung, Rs. 8 crore for Tamenglong and Rs. 13.5 crore for Thanlon for upgradation/development of heliports, to be released to the State Government on reimbursement basis.

Similarly, Shri Scindia has written to Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana, informing that Hissar and Ambala airports have been awarded under UDAN for connecting various destinations. Ministry of Civil Aviation has earmarked Rs. 33 crore for Hissar airport and Rs. 40 crore for Ambala airport for upgradation of infrastructure, provided to the State Government on reimbursement basis. Requesting the State Government for expediting the expansion of runway and other airport related activities on priority, Shri Scindia said that New potential routes from Hissar under RCS – UDAN, may be started after upgradation of airport.

Writing to Admiral D K Joshi (Retd.), Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Shri Scindia has drawn his attention towards following issues:

• Development of water aerodromes under RCS-UDAN: The construction works of infrastructure for the proposed water aerodromes at Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep and Long Island has been entrusted to Andaman & Lakshadweep Harbor Works (ALHW), an agency under the Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India. Being a time bound project, requisite approval process needs to be expedited to ensure timely operationalisation of seaplane services in A & N Islands under UDAN.
• Development of Water Aerodrome at Port Blair: The selected airline ‘SpiceJet’ intends to operate with non-amphibious seaplane on the awarded routes between Port Blair-Swaraj Dweep, Port Blair-Shaheed Dweep & Port Blair-Long Island. This has necessitated development of water aerodrome facility at Port Blair also. UT Administration is requested to identify the new location at Port Blair at the earliest and intimate the same to AAI for necessary prefeasibility survey etc.
• International Air Connectivity to Port Blair: The A & N Islands with its immense potential for tourism are favourably located in close proximity of ASEAN Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia. The VSI airport at Port Blair has already been designated as a port of entry into India with valid travel documents (including e-visas) for all class of passengers. Further, the Government of India has relaxed the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for foreign visitors travelling to Islands.

Shri Scindia said that to promote international flights by airlines, the A & N Administration has also relaxed the VAT on ATF from 10% to 0%. Similarly, the Ministry of Defence has also waived off landing charges at Port Blair airport for a period of three years for international flights. In this context, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had consultations with Indian Carriers regarding International Operations from Port Blair. Airlines have expressed their willingness to undertake International UDAN operations with VGF support.

He further added that UT Administration, if it considers appropriate, may convey their consent to provide 100% VGF support for International UDAN operations from Port Blair to International destinations like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok etc. On receipt of the consent of the UT Administration for 100% VGF support, routes will be offered for bidding for the airlines as per the provisions of UDAN International template.

While writing to Shri Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Scindia has said that Airports Authority of India (AAI), had recently offered routes- ‘Kargil-Jammu-Kargil’ & ‘Kargil-Srinagar-Kargil’ in special round of bidding under UDAN-4.1. However, no bid has been received for these offered routes. The Ministry of Civil Aviation will continue to make efforts to enhance air connectivity to the unserved regions in collaboration with the stakeholders like airlines and airport operators from time to time.

Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia further informed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has held consultation with Indian Carriers for commencing International Operations from Srinagar. Airlines have expressed their willingness to undertake International UDAN operations with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support.

He added that UT Administration, if it considers appropriate, may give their consent to provide VGF support for International (UDAN) operations from Srinagar to Dammam, Sharjah and Muscat. On receipt of the consent of the UT Administration for VGF support, routes will be offered for bidding for the airlines during next round as per the provisions of the Scheme Document. Subsidy required per leg for the International routes connecting Srinagar are as under:-

• Srinagar to Dammam: Rs. 5,00,624/-
• Srinagar to Sharjah: Rs.4,38,836/-
• Srinagar to Muscat: Rs. 4,16,272/-

Writing to Shri Praful K Patel, Administrator of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Shri Scindia has mentioned that Airports Authority of India (AAI), had recently offered routes – ‘Daman-Diu-Daman’ & ‘Daman-Ahmedabad-Daman’ in special round of bidding under UDAN-4.1. The bids received are at advanced stage of evaluation and are likely to be finalized soon. Daman airport belongs to Indian Coast Guard and it is understood that UT administration is developing a Civil Enclave there.  The Ministry has earmarked Rs. 58 crore for upgradation of Daman Airport, to be provided to UT administration on reimbursement basis. While seeking the personal intervention  of Shri Praful K Patel in initiating action on priority for establishment of Civil Enclave at Daman, Shri Scindia expressed his commitment towards strengthening of civil aviation infrastructure in UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

4-Aug-2021: New milestone achieved in strengthening aerial connectivity with North East India

The first direct flight operations between Imphal (Manipur) & Shillong (Meghalaya) was flagged off yesterday under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme — Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of the Government of India. The operationalization of this route fulfills the objectives of the Government of India to establish strong aerial connectivity in priority areas of Northeast India. The officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were present during the launch of the flight operations.

The aerial connectivity between the capital cities of Manipur & Meghalaya has been a long-awaited demand of the people of the region. The beautiful city of Shillong is surrounded by hills from all sides. Famous for the presence of many well-reputed educational institutions, Shillong is the hub of education for the entire North-East India. Apart from being the beauty & education centre, Shillong also acts as the gateway to Meghalaya, the state famous for heavy rainfall, caves, tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, and its rich heritage & culture. Shillong is famous for Elephant falls, Shillong Peak, Umiam lake, Sohpetbneng Peak, Don Bosco Museum, Laitlum Canyons. Moreover, Shillong is the only capital city in Northeast India to produce two football clubs that participate in the I-League, namely, Royal Wahingdoh FC and Shillong Lajong FC. In addition to these, Shillong Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in the country.

Due to the non-availability of any direct mode of transportation, people were compelled to cover a long 12-hour journey by road to reach Shillong from Imphal or they had to take a flight to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, then bus service to reach Shillong. The completion of the entire journey took more than 1 day to reach Shillong from Imphal or vice-versa. Now, natives can easily fly between the two cities by opting for a flight of just 60 mins from Imphal to Shillong and 75 mins from Shillong to Imphal.

Shillong is the second city to be connected with Imphal under the UDAN scheme. The airline M/s Indigo was awarded the Imphal-Shillong route during the UDAN 4 bidding process. The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people. The airline will be operating four flights in a week and will deploy its 78-seater ATR 72 aircraft. Currently, 66 UDAN routes are operational by M/S Indigo airlines.

Till date, 361 routes and 59 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme. The scheme is envisaged to establish strong aerial connectivity in all States and UTs of the country which hitherto were not connected, laying the foundation of a new regional segment in India’s aviation market.

16-Jul-2021: Eight new routes launched to boost regional aerial connectivity

Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation along with Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh and Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare today virtually flagged off 8 new routes bolstering the aerial connectivity from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra & Gujarat. Shri Rakesh Singh, Member of Parliament, Jabalpur, Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation along with other senior officials of the ministry were also present during the flag off.

Shri Pradhuman Singh Tomar, Minister of Energy, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh; Shri Tulsi Silawat, Minister of Water Resources, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh; Dr. Kirit Solanki, Member of Parliament, Ahmedabad; and Shri Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar, Member of Parliament, Gwalior also joined the flag-off event virtually.

Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, said “I would like to congratulate the people of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat on the commencement of the new flight operations. Besides, additional flights between the Delhi-Jabalpur route will also commence from July 18 onwards, and Khajuraho-Delhi-Khajuraho flights from October 2021 onwards. We are committed to bolster regional air connectivity and take the Prime Minister's vision of Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) to greater heights!"

The airlines M/S SpiceJet will commence operations on these 8 new routes: Gwalior-Mumbai-Gwalior, Gwalior-Pune-Gwalior, Jabalpur-Surat-Jabalpur, and Ahmedabad-Gwalior-Ahmedabad route.

Gwalior is one of the first airports of Madhya Pradesh to be connected with the UDAN route and further enhancements in the air traffic led to the advent of additional regional routes. Gwalior is now well connected with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, & Jammu as UDAN routes and Mumbai, Pune, & Ahmedabad as non-UDAN routes. The city is famous for its historical buildings like- Gwalior Fort, SaaS Bahu Temple, Tomb of Mohammad Ghaus, Phool Bagh, Gujari Mahal Museum, TeliKaMandir, Gwalior Zoo, Moti Mahal & Jai Vilas Palace. The new routes will boost the aerial connectivity of Gwalior, the tourism city of Madhya Pradesh with the trade hubs of India, Maharashtra & Gujarat, and further improve economic activity.

The commencement of these routes fulfils the objectives of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance the regional connectivity of the Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities with the metro cities of the country. With the flag-off, Jabalpur airport (Madhya Pradesh) is now connected with Bangalore, Hyderabad, & Pune as non-UDAN routes & with Bilaspur as UDAN route. Jabalpur is the administrative and educational centre of Madhya Pradesh. Home to Dhuandhar Falls, Madan Mahal Fort, Balancing Rock, Bargi Dam, Gurudwara Gwarighat Sahib, and Dumna Nature Reserve Park, the city is also a major tourist hub.

Inauguration of these routes achieves the aim of the Sab Uden Sab Juden initiative under the UDAN scheme to strengthen the established aerial network of the country while providing a catalyst to the local economy & tourism.

Earlier this month, under the UDAN scheme, M/S Indigo airlines started another flight to connect Kolkata, West Bengal &Imphal, Manipur with Dibrugarh, Assam.

To date, 359 routes and 59 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme.

The number of domestic passengers is on the rise as flying emerges as a preferred, safe & time-saving mode of transport. On 15 July 2021, 1,56,450 passengers travelled on 1,450 flights. Total flight movement was 2,915 & total passenger movement was 3,12,892.

30-Mar-2021: 22 Routes Inaugurated Under UDAN in 3 Days

In a constant endeavour to connect the unconnected regions, 22 new routes have been operationalised in the last 3 days under the UDAN scheme out of which 6 new routes have been operationalised in North-East India.  First direct flight from Shillong (Meghalaya) to Agartala (Tripura) under the UDAN scheme was flagged off today after the successful commencement of the flight operations on Shillong (Meghalaya)- Silchar (Assam) route yesterday. Senior officials and other important stakeholders of Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were present. The operationalisation of these routes aligns with the objectives of UDAN scheme to strengthen the aerial network of the country, create affordable, yet economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes. Till date, 57 unserved and underserved airports (including 5 heliports + 2 water aerodrome) with 347 routes have been operationalised under UDAN across the length and breadth of India.

On 28th March 2021, 18 new routes were flagged off under the UDAN scheme. The routes that commenced operations were Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) to Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) which is a state supported UDAN route, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) to Bangalore (Karnataka), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and Chennai (Tamil Nadu), from Agra (Uttar Pradesh) to Bangalore (Karnataka) & Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), from Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) to Bhubaneswar (Odisha) & Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). In addition to these routes, new flight connectivity was established from Dibrugarh (Assam) to Dimapur (Nagaland).

The Indigo airlines was awarded the Shillong-Agartala, Shillong – Silchar, Kurnool - Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam, and Chennai routes under the UDAN 4 bidding process last year. In addition to these, Agra to Bangalore and Agra to Bhopal route under UDAN 3, Prayagraj to Bhubaneswar and Prayagraj to Bhopal route under UDAN 2, and Dibrugarh to Dimapur were awarded under UDAN 3 bidding process. Alliance Air was awarded the Lucknow – Gorakhpur route under the UDAN 3 bidding process.      

13-Mar-2021: More Routes proposed Under UDAN 4.1

On the commencement of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (India@75)’ launched by Government of India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has proposed  about 392 routes under UDAN 4.1 bidding process.  The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) envisaged to make air travel affordable and widespread in the country. The scheme intends to boost inclusive national economic growth, employment opportunities, and air transport infrastructure development across the nation. Till date, 325 routes and 56 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme.

The UDAN 4.1 round is focused on connecting smaller airports, along with special helicopter and seaplane routes. In addition to these, some new routes have been proposed under the Sagarmala Seaplane Services in consultation with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA said, “Following the four successful rounds of bidding, the special UDAN 4.1 bidding round invites bids for priority routes which have not been covered under UDAN so far. This bidding round also includes routes specially requested by the State governments / UT administrations and earlier cancelled/terminated routes. We have observed great demand on many Tier-2 & Tier-3 UDAN routes attesting the necessity along with essentiality & criticality of these regional routes. We aim to equip our country with one of the strongest air connectivity networks”

Some of the operational flexibilities are extended to Airlines under the UDAN 4.1 to ensure suitable operation models to connect smaller cities/ airstrips. Additionally, operations under NSOP will be allowed for seaplane, fixed-wing aircraft, Helicopters for RCS Routes awarded under UDAN 4.1.

The Bid Document is uploaded on the Central Procurement portal of the National Informatics Centre inviting the bids from interested airlines. The bidding process is expected to be completed by 6 weeks.

8-Mar-2021: First Flight to Bareilly Flagged off

Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS, I/C, Civil Aviation today flagged off the first flight from Delhi to the newly upgraded Trishul Military Airbase, Bareilly Airport, Uttar Pradesh. Shri Santosh Gangwar, MoS, I/C, Labour & Employment and Member of Parliament, Bareilly graced the event at the Delhi Airport by flagging off the All Women Crew operated Delhi – Bareilly Inaugural Flight on the International Women’s Day. Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA and Shri Rajiv Bansal, CMD, Air India joined virtually. Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) was present at the event. Other senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) & Airport Authority of India (AAI) also attended the event virtually.

The Bareilly airport has been upgraded for commercial flight operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of the Government of India. The flagging off marks the commencement of the 56th airport under the UDAN scheme and marks the successful operationalization of the 8th airport of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Hindon, Agra and Prayagraj. Now people can fly at ease by opting for a flight of 60 mins from Delhi to Bareilly while earlier they were forced to opt for a road travel of more than 6 hours or a train journey of more than 4 hours.

Trishul Military Airbase, Bareilly belongs to the Indian Air Force and the land was handed over to the Airport Authority of India for construction of the interim civil aviation operations. The Government of India sanctioned Rs. 88 crores under the UDAN scheme for the development of the interim civil aviation operations. The upgradation was undertaken by the AAI with a cost of Rs. 65 crores.

Alliance Air was awarded the Delhi - Bareilly route under the UDAN-4 bidding process last year. The airline will be deploying its ATR 72 600 aircraft having a seating capacity of 70 seats on this route.

To date, 325 routes and 56 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme. To keep the fares accessible for the common man, financial incentives in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is being provided under the UDAN scheme from the Centre, State governments and airport operators to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports under the scheme.

This aerial connectivity will fulfill the aspirations of the lakhs of people who visit Bareilly for the NathNagri (known for the four Shiva temples located in four corners of the region - DhopeshwarNath, MadniNath, AlakhaNath and TrivatiNath), Ala Hazrat, Shah Sharafat Miyan and Khankahe Niyazia, Zari nagari and historically important sites like as Sanjashya (where the Buddha descended from Tushita to earth). The city is also a center for furniture manufacturing and cotton, cereal and sugar trading. This air connectivity will fulfil the aspirations of people of Bareilly and the entire Uttar Pradesh state. Apart from enhancing the aerial the aerial connectivity of the region, the flight operations will provide additional benefits to the trade, tourism, and local economy.

4-Feb-2021: Small Aircraft Operator under Category-1a Awarded 26 RCS Routes In UDAN 3.0 and 4.0

Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21-10-2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and making air travel affordable to the masses. Under the UDAN scheme connectivity is enhanced by reviving unserved and underserved airports and by giving financial (Viability Gap Funding or VGF) support to meet the gap, if any, between the cost of airline operations and expected revenues on such UDAN routes. In addition to VGF, concessions to the Selected Airlines Operators (SAOs) are offered by Central Government, State Government and airport operator for operation of UDAN flights.

Different fixed wing aircraft (including seaplanes), based on their seating capacity, have been classified into the following four (4) categories for the purpose of UDAN Scheme based on seating capacity.

1. Category-1A   -  <9 passengers
2. Category-1      -   9 - 20 passengers
3. Category-2      -    21 - 80 passengers
4. Category-3      -     > 80 passengers

In UDAN 3.0 and 4.0, a small aircraft operator under Category-1A was awarded 26 RCS routes.

UDAN is a market driven scheme. The interested airlines based on their assessment of demand on particular routes submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN from time to time. Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Implementing Agency, provides VGF to SAOs for operation of UDAN flights. The VGF for UDAN flights is generated from within the sector by imposing a levy per departure, primarily on trunk routes.  Besides the VGF and concessions, SAOs also get exclusivity right of operation of UDAN flight for a period of three years on the awarded route under UDAN scheme.

4-Feb-2021: 24 Routes Identified in Assam Under the 1st Phase of UDAN 4.0

Broad salient features of the UDAN scheme are mentioned below:

1. Demand driven
2. Affordability of airfare
3. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to Selected Airline Operators (SAOs)
4. Minimum performance level of UDAN flights by the SAOs
5. Exclusivity of operation on UDAN routes.;
6. Focus on priority areas i.e. NER, Hilly Sates and Islands.

Viability Gap Funding is provided to the Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) for operating UDAN flights under the scheme. Airports Authority of India, the implementing agency has disbursed Rs. 79,60,680/-  to SAO for operating UDAN flights in Assam so far.;

AAI, the implementing agency, has identified following UDAN airports/heliports/water aerodromes for operation of UDAN flights in Assam.

Airports:

1. Jorhat
2. Lilabari
3. Tezpur
4. Rupsi

Heliports:

1. Nagaon
2. Misa
3. Geleki

Water Aerodrome:

1. Guwahati River Front
2. Umrangso Reservoir

AAI, the implementing agency, has identified 24 routes in Assam under the 1st phase of UDAN 4.0. (For List of these 24 routes, click here). The Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) under UDAN are obligated to commence RCS flight operations on a RCS-route within a period of six months from the issuance of Letter of Award or within two months from the readiness of airport, whichever is later, unless any extension is granted by the Implementing Agency.

25-Jan-2021: First direct flight operations flagged off on Belgaum-Nashik route under UDAN

The first direct flight operations between Nashik (Maharashtra) and Belgaum (Karnataka) started today under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme — Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of the Government of India. Operationalizing of this route expands the aerial connectivity of Belgaum to the 10 destinations across India.  The Belgaum airport has emerged as the third busiest airport in terms of traffic in the state, after Bengaluru and Mangaluru. Officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were present at the launch of the flight operations. Till date, 311 routes have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme.

Several requests were received to start Belgaum-Nashik route considering the non-availability of any direct flight/train operations between these cities, till date. People were forced to travel by road & suffer a long journey of more than 10 hours. Nasik is a big tourist and business destination. Being one of the four pilgrimage sites that organises Kumbh Mela, and the gateway city for the Shirdi Sai Temple & Trimbakeshwar Temple, the city attracts lakhs of tourists every year. Additionally, due to the presence of majority of India's vineyards and wineries in the city, Nashik is also known as the Grape and Wine capital of India and attracts business community. Further, many people use this route to visit Kolhapur & Goa for tourism and business purposes. Now, these people can travel at ease by opting for a flight of just 60 minutes.

Star Air was awarded the Belgaum-Nashik route during the UDAN 3 bidding process. The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people. The airline will be operating thrice-weekly flights on the route and will deploy its 50-seater Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. The route marks the commencement of the 15th UDAN route by the airline.

14-Jan-2021: Hisar Airport Inaugurated Under RCS-UDAN

First flight to the newly constructed Hisar airport in Haryana from Chandigarh was flagged off today under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of the Government of India. The flight was flagged off by Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana. The inauguration was attended by the senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) & Airport Authority of India (AAI). The flagging off marks the operationalization of 54th airport under the UDAN scheme. To date, 307 routes and 54 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme.

Belonging to the Government of Haryana, Hisar airport is a public licensed airport that is suitable for 18 seat type aircraft. The development of the Hisar airport was undertaken by the MoCA as it aligns with the dual objectives of the UDAN scheme; "letting the common citizen of the country fly" & make air travel affordable and widespread in the country.” Subsequently, the Government of India had sanctioned INR 28.60 crores for the development of the interim civil aviation operations. The land was handed over to the AAI for the up-gradation and development of the Hisar airport. The upgrade included the construction of the new terminal building, hangars, strengthening of the runway, installation of night-flying equipment, ATC, security equipment, etc. at the Hisar airport.

The airline Aviation Connectivity & Infrastructure Developers Pvt. Ltd (Air Taxi) was awarded the Hisar – Chandigarh – Hisar route under the UDAN 4 bidding process. The airline has become the first startup airline of the country to assist the nation with Air Taxi services. These UDAN flights will reduce the journey time between Hisar to Chandigarh from 4.50 hours to a comfortable 45 minutes journey that too at an affordable fare since financial incentives in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is being provided from the Centre, State governments & airport operators to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports under the scheme.

This air connectivity will fulfill the aspirations of the people of Haryana and Chandigarh. Many people travel frequently between these two cities for personal as well as professional purposes. Hisar is the administrative headquarters of the Hisar district of Hisar division in the state of Haryana. The place is India's largest galvanized iron manufacturing city. The commencement of the flight operations on the route will provide impetus to the local economy & enhance the aerial connectivity of the region.

11-Jan-2021: First direct flight between Kalaburagi to Tirupati flagged off under UDAN

Taking another step in boosting the regional aerial connectivity in India, Star Air today commenced the direct daily flight operations from Kalburgi, Karnataka to Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of Government of India. Attesting the dual objectives of the UDAN scheme; making air travel affordable for the people & simultaneously enhance its coverage in the country, 305 UDAN routes & 53 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalized till date.

Inaugurated under the UDAN scheme, Kalaburagi airport recently completed a successful 1 year of service. The airport has become the fastest growing airport in the country. More than 1000 flights have ferried more than 43,000 people from the airport. To celebrate the hard work, commitment, and perseverance of the involved professionals, the officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were present at the route launch.

MoCA had received numerous requests for the commencement of the flight operations on the route including an appeal by the Hyderabad Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HKCCI) for the necessity of the direct flight operations from Kalaburagi to Tirupati. Tirupati city, also called as the ‘Spiritual Capital of Andhra Pradesh’, is home to the most famous and auspicious Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple popularly called ‘Tirupati Balaji Temple’ which has its name in the most-visited shrine across the globe. The temple attracts 50,000 to 100,000 devotees every day. Apart from the Tirupati Balaji temple, the place is also famous for other historical temples, Sri Venkateshwara National Park, Deer Park, Tirupati, & Talakona Waterfalls, Tirupati. The century old temples in Tirupati are one of the first choices of the pilgrims of the country. Moreover, the Tirumala Hills in Tirupati is the second oldest rock mountain hills in the world.

Due to the unavailability of any direct transportation mode between these two cities, people had to travel either by road or had to opt for a rail journey combined with a road trip, which took more than 12 hours by road & more than 20 hours by train & bus to cover the entire journey of 630 km. Now, people can opt for a direct flight and cover this long-distance journey in just 70 mins.

The airline, Star Air was awarded the Kalaburagi – Tirupati route under the RCS-UDAN-3 bidding process last year. The airline will be operating three weekly flights on the route and will deploy its 50-seater Embraer-145 luxury aircraft. With the flag-off, there are now 24 routes under the ambit of RCS-UDAN for Star Air.

21-Dec-2020: First flight operations flagged off on Belgaum – Surat – Kishangarh route under UDAN

The first flight operations from Belgaum (Karnataka) to Surat (Gujarat) to Kishangarh (Ajmer) were flagged off today under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of the Government of India. The officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were present at the inauguration. The launch of the flight operations on the Surat-Kishangarh-Belgaum route aligns with the government’s objective to provide air connectivity with metros to the Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities of the country under UDAN. More than 300 routes have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme, and the flag off marks the inauguration of the 303rd route under the ambit of the scheme.

In its constant endeavour to link the unconnected regions, Star Air was awarded the Belgaum-Surat-Kishangarh route during the UDAN 3 bidding process last year. The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people.  The airline will be operating thrice-weekly flights on the route and will deploy its 50-seater Embraer-145 aircraft.  The route marks the commencement of the 20th UDAN route by the airline.

The aerial connectivity on this route had been one of the most awaited demands of natives. People frequently visit the famous Nine Planets temple, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Pushkar Lake, Phool Mahal Palace, Roopangarh Fort, etc. in Kishangarh. Furthermore, the city is also known as the Marble City of India and is a big market of red chilies. Until now there was no direct mode of transport available from Belgaum to Kishangarh. The travellers were compelled to take a train till Agra, and further, they had to opt for a bus to reach Kishangarh. Similarly, by road, the completion of the entire journey took more than 25 hrs. Now, people can travel comfortably & fly at ease by opting for a flight of 3:10 hours. Apart from saving time, money, and energy of the people who travel frequently between Belgaum & Kishangarh, the launch of the regular flight operations on the route will further provide a catalyst to trade & tourism of the region. Likewise, the natives of the Silk City & Diamond City, Surat had to suffer long train & road journeys to reach the Marble City. The completion of the entire journey took more than 50 hours, Now, natives reach Kishangarh by opting for a flight of just 80 mins.

27-Aug-2020: 78 New Routes Approved Under UDAN 4.0; Major Boost to Connectivity in North East, Hilly States and Islands

78 new routes under the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) have been approved following the three successful rounds of bidding by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This will further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. The North Eastern Region, Hilly States and Islands have been given priority in the approval process for the new routes.

Special boost is being given to connectivity in North East with routes from Guwahati to Tezu, Rupsi, Tezpur, Passighat, Misa and Shillong. People will be able to fly from Hissar to Chandigarh, Dehradun and Dharmshala under these UDAN 4 routes. Routes from Varanasi to Chitrakoot and Shravasti have also been approved. Agatti, Kavaratti and Minicoy islands of Lakshadweep have also been connected by the new routes of UDAN 4.0.

So far, 766 routes have been sanctioned under the UDAN scheme. 29 served, 08 unserved (including 02 heliports and 01 water aerodrome), and 02 underserved airports have been included in the list for approved routes.

The 4th round of UDAN was launched in December 2019 with a special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands. The airports that had already been developed by AAI are given higher priority for the award of VGF(Viability Gap Funding) under the Scheme. Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopter and seaplanes is also been incorporated. Since its inception, MoCA has operationalized 274 UDAN routes that have connected 45 airports and 3 heliports.

The new approved RCS routes are as below:

List of Unserved airports:

1. Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh
2. Rupsi, Assam
3. Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
4. Hisar, Haryana
5. Misa (Heliport), Assam
6. Geleki (Heliport), Assam
7. Minicoy, Lakshadweep
8. Kavaratti (Water aerodrome), Lakshadweep

List of Underserved airports:

1. Agatti, Lakshadweep
2. Passighat, Arunachal Pradesh

29-Jul-2020: Pawan Hans's first UDAN-RCS service launched in Uttarakhand

274 UDAN routes have been operationalized so far connecting 45 airports and 3 heliports since the launch of the first UDAN flight in April 2017 by Hon’ble Prime Minister from Shimla to Delhi, said Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS, I/C, Civil Aviation. Flagging off the first helicopter service by Pawan Hans in Uttarakhand today under the UDAN-RCS scheme, Shri Puri said that launch of the heli service and opening of these new routes will bring people of the state closer and support tourism in the region.

This service will enable connectivity between Dehradun, New Tehri, Srinagar and Gauchar. Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA, Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, Shri Sanjeev Razdan, CMD, Pawan Hans Ltd. were present during the virtual flag-off ceremony in New Delhi. The route was simultaneously inaugurated by Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from the state.

Commencement of the new Heli services will enhance the aerial connectivity between hilly regions in Uttarakhand and bring down the average travel time to 20-25 minutes. This will also assist the Chaar Dhaam Yatra pilgrims. Pawan Hans Ltd. will operate thrice-weekly helicopter services on this route. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is provided to both operators and passengers under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable for the common people. Accordingly the fare for these routes is Rs. 2900 per seat. MoCA awarded the Dehradun- New Tehri – Srinagar - Gauchar route to Pawan Hans Ltd. under the UDAN 2 bidding process.

Two more networks connecting Dehradun to Ramnagar, Pantnagar, Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, and Dehradun to Mussoorie will also be operationalized soon by Pawan Hans Ltd.

Shri Hardeep Singh Puri congratulated Shri Trivender Singh Rawat, Chief Minister and the people of Uttarakhand. He added that with this launch, we are adding 6 more routes and 2 heliports at New Tehri and Srinagar.

Three rounds of UDAN have already been undertaken and so far close to 50 lakh passengers have travelled in UDAN flights covering airports in 19 States and 2 UTs. The fourth round of UDAN is under process. The Scheme has been able to fulfill the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister and keep up the motto of “Sab Uden, Sab Juden”

2-May-2020: 422 flights operated under Lifeline Udan to deliver essential medical cargo to people across the country

422 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private carriers. 244 of these flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. Cargo transported till date is around 790.22 tons.  Aerial distance covered by Lifeline Udan flights till date is over 4,13,538 km. ‘Lifeline Udan’ flights are being operated by MoCA to transport essential medical cargo to remote parts of the country to support India’s war against COVID-19.

Helicopter services including Pawan Hans Ltd have been operating in J&K, Ladakh, Islands and North East region transporting critical medical cargo and patients. Pawan Hans till 1 May 2020 have carried 2.03 tons of cargo covering a distance of 7,529 kms.  Special focus has been on the North East Region, island territories and the hill states. Air India and IAF collaborated primarily for J&K, Ladakh, North-East and other island regions.

Domestic Cargo Operators SpiceJet, Blue Dart and Indigo are operating cargo flights on a commercial basis. SpiceJet operated 734 cargo flights during 24 March to 1 May 2020 covering a distance of 12,77,213 km and carrying 5,320 tons of cargo. Out of these,270 were international cargo flights. Blue Dart operated 245 cargo flights covering a distance of 2,67,417 km and carrying 4,179tons of cargo during 25 March to 1 May 2020. Out of these, 12 were international cargo flights. Indigo has operated 82 cargo flights during 3 April to 1 May 2020 covering a distance of 1,36,060 km and carrying around 393tons of cargo and including 27 international flights.  This also includes medical supplies carried free of cost for the government. Vistara has operated 20 cargo flights during 19 April to 1 May 2020 covering a distance of 28,590 km and carrying around 139 tons of cargo.

In International Sector, a cargo air-bridgewas established with East Asia for transportation of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and Covid-19 relief material. The quantity of medical cargo brought in by Air India is 842 tons. In addition to the above, Blue Dart has uplifted around 114 tons of medical supplies from Guangzhou and Shanghai starting 14 April upto1 May 2020.Spicejet has also uplifted204 tons of medical supplies from Shanghai and Guangzhou upto1 May 2020 and 16 tons medical supplies from Hong Kong and Singapore upto1 May 2020.

13-Apr-2020: Airlines cover more than 2 lakh km under Lifeline Udan to transport medical supplies across the nation

Over 218 Lifeline Udan flights have been operated by MoCA to transport essential medical cargo to remote parts of the country to support India’s war against COVID-19, said Sh. Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS, I/C, Civil Aviation in a tweet today. Civil Aviation Minister tweeted that Cargo transported till date is around 377.50 tons and the aerial distance covered by Lifeline Udan flights till date is over 2,05,709 km. 132 of these flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. The Cargo load carried on 12th April 2020 was 4.27  Tons. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the aviation industry is determined to support India’s war against COVID-19 by transporting medical air-cargo within India and abroad in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

Special focus has been on the North East Region, island territories and the hill states. Bulk of the cargo comprises light-weight and voluminous products like masks, gloves and other consumables, that consume relatively larger storage space on the aircraft. Special permission has been taken to store cargo in the passenger seating area and overhead cabins, with due precautions.

Public information related to Lifeline Udan flights is updated daily on the portal at https://esahaj.gov.inlifeline_udan/public_info. which enables seamless coordination between various stakeholders.

Domestic Cargo Operators Spice Jet, Blue Dart and Indigo are operating cargo flights on a commercial basis. SpiceJet operated 300 cargo flights during 24 March to 12 April 2020 covering a distance of 4, 26, 533 km and carrying 2478 tons of cargo. Out of these 95 were international cargo flights. Blue Dart operated 94 domestic cargo flights covering a distance of 92,075 km and carrying 1479 tons of cargo during 25 March to 12 April 2020. Indigo has operated 25 cargo flights during 3-12 April 2020 covering a distance of 21,906 km and carrying around 21.77 tons of cargo.  This also includes medical supplies carried free of cost for the government.

International Sector : An air-bridge has been established with effect from 4 April 2020 for transportation of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and Covid-19 relief material. Within South Asia, Air India transported around 9 tons of supplies on 7th April 2020 and 4 tons on 8th April 2020 to Colombo. Air India will operate dedicated scheduled cargo flights to other countries for transfer of critical medical supplies, as per the requirement.

5-Apr-2020: Lifeline UDAN flights transport 161 tons of cargo across the country

Under Lifeline UDAN, 116 flights have been operated by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF, Pawan Hans and private carriers. 79 of these flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. Cargo transported till date is around 161 tons. Aerial distance covered by Lifeline Udan flights till date is over 112,178 km. On the international front, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India have worked closely with China to establish a cargo air-bridge between the two countries for transfer of critical medical supplies. The first cargo flight between India and China was operated by Air India on 4 April 2020, carrying 21 tons of critical medical supplies from China.

‘Lifeline Udan’ flights are being operated by MoCA to transport essential medical cargo to remote parts of the country to support India’s war against COVID-19.

Special focus has been on the North East Region (NER), island territories and the hill states. MoCA, Air India and IAF have collaborated closely for last mile deliveries to Ladakh, Dimapur, Imphal, Guwahati and Port Blair.

Bulk of the cargo comprises light-weight and voluminous products like masks, gloves and other consumables, that require more space on the aircraft per ton. Special permission has been taken to store cargo in the passenger seating area and overhead cabins, with due precautions.  The Lifeline Udan flights are being operated despite significant logistical challenges in road transportation of cargo to and from airports; production bottlenecks and in the movement of aviation personnel.

Public information related to Lifeline Udan flights is uploaded daily on the Lifeline Udan website. A portal for coordinating Lifeline Udan flights was developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and MoCA. A link to the Lifeline Udan portal is available on MoCA’s website www.civilaviation.gov.in).

Domestic Cargo Operators SpiceJet, Blue Dart and Indigo are operating cargo flights on a commercial basis. SpiceJet operated 166 cargo flights from 24 March to 4 April 2020 covering a distance of 2,23,241 km and carrying 1,327 tons of cargo. Out of these, 46 were international cargo flights. Blue Dart operated 52 domestic cargo flights, covering a distance of 50,086 km and carrying 761 tons of cargo between 25 March and 4 April 2020. Indigo has operated 8 cargo flights during 3-4 April 2020 covering a distance of 6,103 km and carrying around 3 tons of cargo. This includes medical supplies carried free of cost for the government.

3-Apr-2020: Over 1 lakh km of aerial distance covered by Lifeline UDAN flights

Under Lifeline UDAN, 97 flights have been operated by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF, Pawan Hans and private carriers. 71 of these have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. Cargo transported till date is around 119 tons. Aerial distance covered by Lifeline Udan flights till date is over 1 lakh km.

The cargo includes COVID-19 related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits, Personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, other materials of HLL and ICMR. cargo requisitioned by State/UT Governments and also postal packets

Lifeline Udan flights operate in a hub and spoke model. Cargo hubs have been established at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore.  Lifeline Udan flights connect these hubs to locations like Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Agartala, Aizwal, Dimapur, Imphal, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Ranchi, Port Blair and Goa. Special focus has been on the North East Region (NER), island territories and the hill states. MoCA, Air India and IAF have collaborated closely for last mile deliveries to Ladakh, Dimapur, Imphal, Guwahati and Port Blair..

Bulk of the cargo comprises low-weight and voluminous packages containing masks, gloves and other consumables; that require more cargo space per ton of material. Special permission has been taken to store cargo in the passenger seating area and overhead cabins, with due care and precautions.

SpiceJet operated 103 cargo flights during 24-31 March 2020 covering an aerial distance of over 142,000 km and carrying over 800 tons of cargo. Out of these 103 flights, 32 were to international destinations. Blue Dart operated 32 domestic cargo flights covering a distance of 30,800 Kms and carrying over 464 tons of cargo during 25- 31 March 2020. Domestic Cargo Operators SpiceJet and Blue Dart are operating cargo flights on commercial basis.

On the international front, MoCA and Air India are working with Chinese authorities to establish a cargo air-bridge between India and China for critical medical supplies. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the aviation industry is determined to support India’s war against COVID-19 by transporting medical air-cargo to India’s remote corners in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

31-Mar-2020: 62 Lifeline UDAN flights operated during the five day period from 26th to 30th March 2020, transporting over 15.4 tonnes

As part of India’s war against COVID-19, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India has launched “Lifeline UDAN” flights for movement of medical and essential supplies across the country and beyond. Under this initiative, 62 Lifeline UDAN flights have been operated during the five day period from 26th to 30th March 2020, transporting over 15.4 tons of essential medical supplies. 45 out of the 62 flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air.

The carriers involved in Lifeline UDAN operations include Air India, Alliance Air, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Pawan Hans. Support is being provided by Airports Authority of India (AAI), AAICLAS (cargo and logistics subsidiary of AAI), AI Airports Services (AIASL), PPP airports and private ground handling entities. Private carriers like IndiGo, SpiceJet and Blue Dart are operating medical cargo flights on a commercial basis. The flights are being coordinated by a control room set up at Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) under the direct supervision of the MoCA leadership. The Lifeline UDAN cargo includes COVID-19 related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks, gloves and other accessories required by Corona Warriors across the country.

The Lifeline UDAN flights are planned using a hub and spoke model. Cargo hubs have been established at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata. Lifeline UDAN flights connect these hubs to each other and therefrom to different parts of the country.

Special focus has been on the North East Region (NER), island territories and the hill states. NER is being connected by Lifeline UDAN through the regional hubs in Kolkata, Bagdogra and Guwahati. These in turn are connected to cities like Dibrugarh, Shillong, Aizawl, Agartala, Imphal and Dimapur using turboprops and helicopters.

A website for Lifeline UDAN flights has been developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and MoCA in a short period to enable seamless coordination between various agencies. The website (link available on MoCA’s website www.civilaviation.gov.in) allows state governments and airlines to upload their consignment and flights details respectively, in advance. The MoCA control room then assigns the cargo consignments to different flights and coordinates with multiple stakeholders till the consignment reaches its destination. There is no service fee levied on the website.

On the international front, Air India has established a cargo air-bridge between India and China. Regular cargo flights for transporting critical medical equipment and supplies between the two countries are likely to be operated by Air India from 3 April 2020 onwards.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and all aviation stakeholders are working in collaboration continuously to support India’s war against COVID-19 by transporting essential medical supplies by air in the most efficient, seamless and cost-effective manner.

16-Mar-2020: First ever Indore – Kishangarh flight commenced under UDAN

Under the UDAN scheme of Government of India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) today flagged off the first-ever thrice-weekly flight from Indore (Madhya Pradesh) to Kishangarh (Ajmer, Rajasthan). In its constant endeavor to connect the unconnected regions, Ministry of Civil Aviation awarded the Indore-Kishangarh route during the UDAN 3 bidding process to Star Air. With the commencement of this route, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has operationalised 268 routes under the UDAN scheme.

Under RCS-UDAN, Star Air is already operating direct flights from Belagavi to Indore and will now extend the same route till Rajasthan, “The land of Colours”. The approximate distance between Indore and Kishangarh is around 550 kilometers and people had to spend more than 10 hours to reach Kishangarh from Indore by road. However, with the commencement of flight operations on this route, people can take one-hour flight and travel at ease and visit the famous Nine Planets temple, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Pushkar Lake, Phool Mahal Palace, Roopangarh Fort, etc. Furthermore, Kishangarh is also known as the Marble City of India and is a big market of red chilies.

Until now, there was no direct flight service available between Belagavi and Kishangarh, and to cover the distance of almost 1550 kilometers between the cities, travelers had to suffer more than 24-hour journey by bus or train. With the inauguration of this route, people can now travel between Belagavi and Kishangarh in just 3 hours.

8-Feb-2020: Uttarakhand’s First Heli Services under UDAN flagged off

Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) operationalized the first ever helicopter services from Dehradun’s Sahastradhara helipad to Gauchar, and Chinyalisaur under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of Government of India. Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA. The inauguration of the Heli routes in the Uttarakhand region is in line with the objective of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance the aerial connectivity of the hilly areas in the country.

MoCA awarded the Sahastradhara-Gauchar-Chinyalisaur route to Heritage Aviation under the UDAN 2 bidding process.  Heritage Aviation will operate helicopter services from Sahastradhara to Gauchar and Chinyalisaur twice daily. For the Heli services, Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is provided under UDAN to keep the fares affordable for the common people. The State Government of Uttarakhand is also providing additional incentives to make the scheme more attractive. 

The helicopter services from the Sahastradhara helipad to Gauchar and Chinyalisaur had been the long pending demand of the people residing in the hilly areas. The services on this route will boost the tourism sector in the Uttarakhand region and will also assist the Chaar Dhaam Yatra pilgrims as Gauchar is en route to Badrinath and Chinyalisaur is en route to Gangotri in the Uttarkashi district. Heli services under UDAN are currently being operationalised between Chandigarh to Shimla, Shimla to Dharamshala & Shimla to Kullu.

 With the commencement of the Sahastradhara-Gauchar-Chinyalisaur route, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has operationalized 260 routes under UDAN. Furthermore, Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) is also going to commence the operations under UDAN from Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun to New Tehri, Srinagar (Chamoli, UK) & Gauchar. With an aim to efficiently connect high priority regions (NER, Hilly States, J&K, Ladakh, and Islands) for the masses, MoCA recently invited the 4th round of bidding under UDAN which is under progress.

31-Jan-2020: Bhubaneswar-Varanasi Direct Daily Flight operations commencement marks the 250th route under RCS-UDAN

Taking the next plunge in boosting the regional aerial connectivity in India, Alliance Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India commenced the direct daily flight operations from Bhubaneswar to Varanasi under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of Government of India. The first flight under the UDAN scheme was flagged off on 27th April 2017 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, henceforth the commencement of the Bhubaneswar- Varanasi route marks another milestone achieved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) with 250th route being operationalised under the RCS – UDAN scheme.

Recently, Alliance Air also started direct daily flight operations on 27th Jan 2020 on the Kolkata-Jharsuguda route under the RCS-UDAN. Alliance Air was awarded the Bhubaneswar-Varanasi route in the UDAN 3 bidding process, making it the 58th route commenced under the RCS-UDAN scheme by the airline. Due to the presence of a large number of temples and the auspicious ghats of the river Ganga, people from all over the country travel frequently to Varanasi. Being a part of the Buddhist tourism circuit, this route will have a cascading effect on the tourism industry of the city as tourism is Varanasi’s second most important industry. The place attracts both domestic as well as foreign tourists for various reasons. Apart from being the religious & tourist hub, Varanasi city is the place of India’s one of the prominent university, Banaras Hindu University, popularly known as BHU.

Alliance Air will operate direct daily flights on the Bhubaneswar-Varanasi route. The airline will deploy its 70 seater ATR 72 600 aircraft. This direct flight will cater to the need of pilgrims, tourists, students, businessmen and, traders.

20-Jul-2019: 8 more routes start operations under UDAN

Giving further fillip to Regional Connectivity in the country, 8 more routes (including 2 DoNER Routes) became functional Under Regional Connectivity Scheme/UdeDeshKaAamNagrik - UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

With this, the total UDAN  routes Operational as on date increased to 194 routes.

7-Mar-2019: Government to put in Rs.4500 crore for regional air connectivity infrastructure

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for extension of time and scope for revival and development of un-served and under-served air strips of State Governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Civil enclaves, CPSUs, helipads and water aerodromes at the total cost of Rs.4500 crore with the budgetary support of Government of India.

Impact: As an outcome, small cities/towns shall be connected on commencement of operation of flights to under-served/un-served airports and it will further boost the economic development in these as well as surrounding areas in terms of job creation and related infrastructure development.

Details: The Ministry has received overwhelming response from the airlines in two rounds of RCS Bidding held so far. In the first round of UDAN bidding, 128 routes were assigned to five airline operators for 43 un-served/underserved airports/airstrips on 31.03.2017. The response from airline operators have considerably improved in second round of RCS bidding wherein 86 proposals involving 325 routes were awarded to 15 selected airline operators in January, 2018.

During RCS-UDAN version 1.0 & 2.0, 66 airports were identified and 31 heliports (28 unserved heliports and 3 unserved airports). During UDAN version 3.0, to increase the tourism potential at the coastal areas, Tourism routes in coordination with Ministry of Tourism and Seaplanes for connecting Water Aerodromes were included.

Background: Finance Minister in his Budget Speech 2016-17, inter-alia, announced making adequate provisions for revival of unserved and underserved airports. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for revival of 50 un-served/under-served airports/airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Civil enclaves and Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs). The Revival of airstrips/airports will be 'demand driven', depending upon firm commitment from airline operators as well as from the State Governments for providing various concessions as Airports will be develop without insisting on its financial viability.

India has a vast coastline of approximately 7500 km and is dotted with numerous water bodies which can be exploited for establishment of Water Aerodrome. A network of Water Aerodromes along with land based airports will improve air connectivity and be particularly useful for localized short-distance travelling. Therefore, it was decided to develop/operate Water Aerodromes in India with aviation expertise of AAI and cooperation of State Government.

22-Aug-2018: Govt unveils draft scheme for extending affordable air travel programme UDAN to international circuits

Centre has unveiled a draft scheme for extending affordable air travel programme UDAN to international circuits, with state governments identifying the routes for operation.

The draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) scheme envisages to increase international ticketing to 20 crore by 2027.

The draft scheme stated that it is to be made operational only for states, which demonstrate commitment to implement and provide the requisite support for promoting operations under the scheme.

Stakeholders inputs and comment have been sought till 4th of next month. The scheme has proposed to set up an International Air Connectivity Fund (IACF) -- a dedicated fund for providing subsidy support under the scheme. It will be created through the contributions of state governments.

State governments will identify the routes to be connected, and airline operators will assess demand on the identified routes and submit proposals for providing connectivity.

Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme was launched in 2016 to make air travel affordable for people through subsidised ticket rates and to provide air connectivity to smaller towns.

5-Apr-2018: Pathankot gets Operationalized as the 21st airport under UDAN – RCS

The maiden flight from Delhi to Pathankot was inaugurated at a function at Terminal 3, IGI Airport, New Delhi by Sh. Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation. With this, Pathankot now gets operationalized as the 21st Airport under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) – RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme). Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the implementing agency of UDAN.

Alliance Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, commenced operations on the Delhi-Pathankot route with ATR aircraft. With the introduction of this flight the travel time between the two cities will reduce significantly.   

This will be the 19th route operated by Alliance Air under UDAN. The Scheme was launched on 27th April 2017 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister when the first UDAN flight, operated by Alliance Air, was flagged off on the Shimla – Delhi route.   

Alliance Air has been a front-runner in regional connectivity and presently operates a network of 49 stations. Alliance Air continues to focus on new routes to connect regional destinations. The airline has been awarded 18 new routes under UDAN-II, which are being launched progressively this year bringing new destinations on India’s air map.

Through its codeshare with Air India, Alliance Air not only provides regional connectivity within the country but also offers seamless connectivity to regional passengers on Air India’s network in India and abroad.

24-Jan-2018: UDAN-2

The Civil aviation ministry has awarded 325 routes in the second round of UDAN bidding. In the second round, RCS routes have also been given to helicopter operators.

Air connectivity has a multiplier effect on tourism, investments, economic growth, job creation. Getting the nooks and corners of India linked up, directly or indirectly, through the fastest mode of transportation can open up the country like never before. Cheap fares on regional routes can mean a horde of first-time fliers taking to the skies, making accessible to them new economic opportunities and quick connections in times of emergencies. India is already among the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. But infrastructure constraints at airports in big cities could slow down this growth. UDAN, if successful, can provide a fillip to India’s aviation story. It could boost passenger numbers and provide feeder traffic to networks in big centres.