The Indian government plans to extend the ‘UDAN’ (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional air connectivity scheme for 10 more years.
About UDAN Scheme
Launched in: 2016
The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik)is a regional connectivity scheme.
It is a vital component of India's National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in 2016, with a 10-year vision.
The Centre’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme aimed at enhancing regional air connectivity and making flying more affordable was introduced in 2016 for 10 years.
The UDAN scheme aims to establish air connectivity in underserved regional areas.
The Scheme offers financial incentives to selected airlines, comprising concessions from central and state governments and airport operators.
The government, under the scheme, provides financial assistance to selected airline operators through Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
Notably, the scheme was initially launched for the period of 10 years, and now the government intends to extend this for 10 more years.
Implementing Agency: Airport Authority of India (AAI)
Progress so far:
Under UDAN, 601 routes and 86 airports have been made operational, serving over 14.4 million passengers thus far.
Notably, the first flight under ‘UDAN’ scheme was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27, 2017. This was from Shimla to Delhi.
The scheme aims to provide opportunities to small regional airlines to scale up their businesses.