UDAN a game changer for aviation sector, says official

The regional air connectivity scheme has been a game changer for the aviation sector and 1 crore people will be travelling under the scheme after one year, a senior civil aviation ministry official said Tuesday.

The scheme -- Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) -- seeks to connect unserved and underserved airports as well as make flying more affordable for the masses.

As many as 675 routes have been awarded under three rounds of UDAN. Out of them, 138 have been operationalised, according to data compiled by the ministry.

Speaking at an event here, Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said UDAN has become a game changer for the aviation industry and 23 new places have been connected.

"After one year, we will almost have 1 crore people travelling under UDAN...," he added.

He was speaking at a gathering organised for MPs to thank them for their support to UDAN and it was also attended by representatives from various airlines, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Pawan Hans, among others.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said the aviation industry stakeholders should give highest priority for concerns that are raised by the members of Parliament.

"In your own airlines, you must have a separate desk to deal with issues raised by members of Parliament," the minister said.