UDAN has helped increase number of air routes, says Scindia

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday said the number of airlines and routes has increased significantly in recent years due to the regional air connectivity scheme.

The scheme, known as UDAN, aims to make provide air connectivity to more places as well as make flying more affordable.

Speaking at the Udan Utsav celebrations at Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Jharsuguda, Odisha on Monday, Scindia said the country had only 72 airports since Independence but after 2014, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the number of airports has gone up to 136, according to an official statement.

"We have set a target to increase this number by 220 in the next five years which will include helipads and water aerodromes. The number of airlines, routes have also increased significantly over the years due to the advent of the UDAN scheme," he said.

He also flagged off new air service between Shilong and Dimapur under the regional air connectivity scheme.