Udan Scheme

Akasa Air plans to operate flights under the government's regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, according to CEO Vinay Dube, who also said that aircraft are joining its fleet at a very steady and predictable pace. The carrier, which is set to complete four years of commercial flying next month, has taken delivery of nine new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft so far this year. It has placed orders for 226 planes and all the remaining 186 aircraft are expected to join the fleet by the end of 2032. The airline aims to increase capacity by 30 per cent in this financial year, and the capacity growth would be in the range of 30-40 per cent in the next 4-5 years. In an interview with PTI, Dube said the airline plans to be part of the UDAN scheme and would carry out a study on a sector-by-sector basis. The modified version of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, which seeks to provide air connectivity to unserved and underserved destinations at affordable cost, was launched on July 4. Launched in

Commercial flights continue on only 336 of 669 routes launched under the regional connectivity scheme since 2017, with airlines citing airport readiness, funding and access to metro hubs as challenges

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the new terminal building at Jodhpur airport and launched the modified UDAN Scheme. Modi arrived in Jodhpur and was received at the airport by Governor Haribhau Bagade, Union Minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. The prime minister unveiled the inauguration plaque by pressing a remote button and toured the new terminal building. He also launched the Modified UDAN Scheme. With an allocation of Rs 28,840 crore over the next 10 years, the scheme aims to accelerate the next phase of aviation-led development. The revamped scheme focuses on multiple strategic components to ensure comprehensive and sustainable air connectivity. The new terminal building at Jodhpur airport has been developed at a total cost of Rs 480 crore. Spread over more than 23,000 square metres, it is designed to handle up to 20 lakh passengers annually. The terminal is equipped with modern passenger amenities to pr

Government approves next phase of UDAN scheme to boost regional connectivity, develop airports and helipads, and support airlines operating in underserved regions

New airlines and eVTOL startups plan regional and electric takeoffs

Finance Minister revealed plans to facilitate the construction of Greenfield airports in Bihar, aimed at addressing the state's future aviation needs

Anoop JR, Airport Director said that the state government is coordinating the land acquisition process for the expansion of the airport, after acquiring land, the runway expansion work will be started

He added that Prime Minister Modi has unlocked India's growth potential by providing the right facilities

The government will extend the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN for 10 more years, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday. UDAN has led to the birth and growth of regional airlines, generation of jobs and contribution to tourism, the minister said at a function in the national capital to mark eight years of the scheme. As many as 601 routes and 71 airports have been operationalised under the regional air connectivity scheme. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) is aimed at enhancing regional air connectivity and making flying more affordable. It was introduced on October 21, 2016 for 10 years. The minister said the scheme will be extended for another 10 years. Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam said the ministry is looking at the financial viability aspects and streamlining of the procedures under the scheme. "A total of 86 aerodromes -- comprising 71 airports, 13 heliports, and 2 water aerodromes -- have been operationalised, facilitating the travel of ov

The Kerala government on Friday said that Kannur airport was yet to receive 'point of call' status, enabling foreign airlines to operate services from there, despite several representations to the Centre and a recommendation by a parliamentary standing committee in favour of that. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh made this submission in the Assembly on behalf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in response to UDF MLA Sajeev Joseph calling the CM's attention to the necessity of increasing the number of flight services from Kannur airport and to develop it into international standards. Rajesh said the issue of granting 'point of call' status to the airport was raised before the Centre several times. The CM himself met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu over this matter, he added. "The CM has submitted a memorandum to the Civil Aviation Minister on September 28," he said. A parliamentary standing committee has also recommended ...

The government intends to offer viability gap funding for seaplane operations, Naidu said

Regional airline FLY91, which will commence its commercial flights on March 18, will have around 350 staff at the end of the first year of operations and aims to break even within two years, according to a top executive. The Goa-based airline currently has two ATR 72-600 planes in its fleet and four more aircraft will be added in the first year of operations. The carrier's MD and CEO Manoj Chacko said there is no need to raise funds now, as it will also be getting Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN. "We also have VGF for the sectors we have won. If we take all the sectors we have secured and if we operate the full schedule, then on an annualised basis, it will be around Rs 200 crore," he told PTI in a recent interview. The airline expects to break even in 18-24 months, he said and added that the focus is to build a profitable, sustainable and scalable business. In the inaugural phase, FLY91 will offer weekly flights between Goa's Manohar ..

Goa-based regional airline FLY91 on Wednesday received the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from aviation regulator DGCA. The carrier has now completed all the compliance requirements and will start commercial operations soon, it said in a release. FLY91 received its first ATR 72-600, one of the two aircraft leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, last week. The airline has already been allocated its first set of routes under the government's regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, the release said. Under UDAN, the airline will connect Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Nanded in Maharashtra and Agatti in Lakshadweep. FLY91 (Just Udo Aviation Pvt Ltd) is headquartered in Goa.

Lakshadweep has one operational airport on Agatti Island, 90 minutes away from Kochi. All domestic flights to the island are routed through Kochi

As many as 1.30 lakh passengers, including those who could never dream of travelling by air, have travelled due to the UDAN scheme and the aviation sector is set to be the 'backbone' of transportation in the country, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Rajya Sabha on Monday. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, the minister said as of today 2.75 lakh flights have operated in India due to the viability gap funding that has been proposed and given by the central government under UDAN. The minister also told the House that the aviation sector has taken steps to ensure the safety and security of passengers, especially the elderly in case of any complain of ill-treatment. Responding to a question by independent member Kartikeya Sharma during Question Hour, the minister said 517 routes are in force under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). He assured the member that safety and security of passengers is the priority and said the aviation regulator DGCA keeps a tr

UDAN 5.2 will use aircraft categories like 1A and 1, which have a seating capacity of nine passengers and 20 passengers, respectively

To facilitate the scheme, the government operationalised 148 airports which included nine heliports and two water aerodromes

The Udan programme aims to connect over 100 unserved and underserved airports, heliports, and water aerodromes across India with over 1000 RCS routes by 2024

The government on Friday launched the fifth round of the regional air connectivity scheme to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas. Under UDAN 5.0, viability gap funding (VGF) will be capped at 600 kilometres stage length for both priority and non-priority areas, which was earlier capped at 500 km. Besides, no pre-determined routes would be offered. Only network and individual route proposals by airlines will be considered, the civil aviation ministry said in a release. Under the fifth round of Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) or Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), the focus will be on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (more than 80 seats). The release said the earlier stage length cap of 600 kilometres is waived and there is no restriction on the distance between the origin and destination of the flight. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said this new and stronger version of the scheme will raise the momentum, connecting new routes and bring

The Centre would soon commence a new route connecting Vellore under its flagship UDAN scheme, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said here on Saturday. As many as 473 new routes have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme launched by the Centre to boost air connectivity in Tier-II and -III cities, he said at an event here. "In terms of airport, Salem airport has been operationalised (in Tamil Nadu). Vellore will be operational in the next couple of months. Fourteen routes of UDAN will be coming in Tamil Nadu," he said soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new integrated terminal building at the Chennai airport here set up at a cost of Rs 1,260 crore. Scindia said under the UDAN Yojana 1.20 crore people have benefited who could never have dreamt of travelling in an aeroplane. The Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme was launched as a programme to offer air connectivity in Tier-II and -III cities by the Union government. Scindia said the new integrate