THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Oct 21: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced on Monday that the government will extend the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN for an additional 10 years.
Speaking at an event in the national capital celebrating the scheme’s eight-year anniversary, the minister highlighted that UDAN has facilitated the emergence and growth of regional airlines, created jobs, and contributed to the tourism sector.
Under the regional air connectivity scheme, a total of 601 routes and 71 airports have been made operational.
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UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) aims to improve regional air connectivity and make air travel more affordable. Launched on October 21, 2016, the scheme was initially set for a duration of 10 years.
Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam mentioned that the ministry is assessing the financial viability and optimizing the procedures related to the scheme.
The ministry reported in a release on Sunday that a total of 86 aerodromes have been made operational, including 71 airports, 13 heliports, and 2 water aerodromes. This development has enabled the travel of over 1.44 crore passengers on more than 2.8 lakh flights.
In the meantime, the number of operational airports in the country has increased from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024, with a target of reaching 350-400 airports by 2047.
