New Delhi (thestates.news)| The government is planning to extend the regional connectivity scheme UDAN for 10 years beyond 2027 enabling more people to fly at affordable air tickets, Union Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said here on Monday.
Addressing the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI’s India Regional Air Mobility Conference 2024, the Minister said, “We are imagining India being at a place where it can operate 350 to 400 airports in the coming 20 to 25 years.” “We are already preparing a new programme to make it even more impressive, not only for the civil aviation sector but keeping in mind the common man of this country and making air travel more affordable for them,” he further said.
The UDAN scheme, launched in 2016, has enhanced regional air connectivity in India. Naidu highlighted its success, stating, “By operationalising over 583 routes, we are connecting 86 airports, many of which were previously underserved or unserved. More than 1.4 crore passengers have benefited from UDAN flights, with over 2.80 lakh flights operated under the scheme and a viability gap funding support of more than Rs 3,700 crores.” Looking beyond national borders, the Minister outlined a vision for greater interconnectivity between Asia Pacific countries.
“It is time that we look beyond the international borders and prepare a roadmap for greater interconnectivity between the Asia Pacific countries,” he stated. The Minister proposed a hub and spoke model to connect more airports in the region, with major airports serving as hubs and smaller regional airports as spokes. This approach aims to create a seamless network that reduces travel times and optimises resources.
Naidu highlighted the region’s potential, noting that it is expected to become the world’s largest aviation market by 2035, with 3.5 billion passengers annually. He called for collaboration to address common challenges such as market imbalances, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory hurdles.(UNI)
UDAN scheme to be extended for 10 years beyond 2027: Minister
