Modified UDAN to deepen regional air connectivity, says Union Civil Aviation Minister
New Delhi, July 16 (TNT): Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Thursday outlined the roadmap for the next phase of the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, saying the initiative would further expand regional air connectivity and make air travel more accessible across the country.
He was speaking at a workshop on the Modified UDAN Scheme, organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation at Vigyan Bhawan, following the launch of the revamped scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Jodhpur on July 4.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Vipin Kumar were present at the event.
Addressing stakeholders, Rammohan said India’s civil aviation sector had witnessed unprecedented growth over the past decade.
He said the country had 65 airports in 2001, which increased to 74 by 2014, while 90 airports have been added in the last 12 years, taking aviation infrastructure to a new level.
He added that 55 unserved and underutilised airstrips had been revived and made operational under the government’s regional connectivity initiatives.
The Union minister said India has emerged as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, attributing the transformation to the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, and the UDAN scheme.
Highlighting the impact of the programme, he said the vision of “Hawai Chappal se Hawai Jahaz” had made air travel affordable for the common man, with passengers from middle-class and neo-middle-class families increasingly using air services.
He said initiatives such as UDAN Yatri Cafes, offering affordable refreshments at airports, were aimed at improving passenger convenience.
The Union minister said India’s aviation sector continued to register strong growth despite global geopolitical uncertainties, with domestic airlines now carrying around five lakh passengers daily.
He added that the country recorded its highest-ever monthly domestic passenger traffic of over 1.5 crore in May this year.
Citing the success of the UDAN scheme, he said airports at Darbhanga, Kishangarh, Keshod, Deogarh, Jharsuguda and Nanded had significantly boosted regional connectivity, trade, tourism and local economic development.
During the workshop, the minister also presented the features of the Modified UDAN Scheme and compared them with the earlier version.
Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making air travel affordable and accessible, particularly in Tier-II, Tier-III and remote regions.
The Ministry also released the UDAN Scheme Document, outlining the vision, objectives and implementation framework for the next phase of the programme, with a focus on strengthening regional connectivity, improving airport infrastructure and expanding the aviation ecosystem.
The workshop was attended by representatives of airlines, airport operators, state governments and industry stakeholders, who discussed implementation strategies, infrastructure development and measures to further strengthen regional air connectivity.
TNT TS
