People from smaller cities flying high on UDAN; more routes to be added

New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) The Centre's ambitious regional connectivity scheme, Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik or UDAN, is going to add more feathers in its cap in the coming year.

As many as 453 routes have already been flagged off under the scheme connecting cities across the country, and 70 airports operationalised, and moves are afoot to add more routes and airports to the list to cater to the rising demand for affordable air travel.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched UDAN in October 2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable for the masses.

UDAN envisages providing connectivity to unserved and underserved airports of the country through revival of the existing airstrips and airports.

Since its implementation, the scheme has been able to provide air connectivity to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities at affordable airfares and has transformed the way people travel.

UDAN is a demand driven scheme, wherein airline operators assess the feasibility of operation on a particular route and bid under the scheme from time to time.

Officials informed that after four rounds of bidding under UDAN, 455 routes have commenced, operationalising 70 airports, including two water aerodrome and nine heliports.

More than 2.15 lakh UDAN flights have operated and over 1.1 crore passengers have availed the benefits so far.

A senior official said that the scheme is applicable for a period of 10 years from the date of its notification.

The Centre has set a target to operationalise 1,000 UDAN routes during the currency of the scheme and to revive and develop 100 unserved and underserved airports, heliports, water aerodromes by 2024.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) monitors the progress for the revival and development of awarded aerodromes under UDAN and the same is reviewed by the Ministry in consultation with stakeholders from time to time.

The official said that people of the remote parts of the country have become able to fly to their destinations after the implementation of the scheme.

Places like Rupsi, Jorhat and Lilabari in Assam; Meghalaya's state capital of Shillong; Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh; and Pakyong in Sikkim have come into the air-map of the country after these airports were operationalised under UDAN in the northeastern region for connecting remote and inaccessible areas.

Similarly, two advanced landing grounds namely Pasighat and Ziro have also been operationalised in Arunachal Pradesh under the scheme "Providing Air Connectivity and Aviation Infrastructure in NER (North Eastern Region)".

Under UDAN, the Centre has targeted an indicative airfare at Rs 2,500 for a distance of 500 km to 600 km per seat under the Regional Connectivity routes -- equivalent to a one-hour flight.

Selected Airline Operator is required to provide upto 50 per cent of the aircraft seating capacity or maximum 40 seats, whichever is lower, as Seats in a fixed wing aircraft under UDAN.

Officials said that helicopter operations are permissible in priority areas under UDAN, which includes Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, northeastern states, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands.

They said that during four rounds of bidding under UDAN, many heliports in the remote/priority area in the northeast, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been identified for operation in the coming time.