UDAN Completes a Decade, Modified Scheme Targets Expansion of Regional Air Connectivity
Launched on October 21, 2016, under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), UDAN aims to make air travel affordable while connecting unserved and underserved regions.
The initiative has supported tourism, medical access, agricultural trade and employment by improving connectivity to remote areas.
The scheme has facilitated more than 3.68 lakh flights across operationalised routes.
As of October 15, 2026, Rs. 5,091.23 crore had been disbursed as Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to support airline operations on regional routes.
India’s operational airports have increased from 74 in 2014 to 166, while employment in the aviation sector has grown from around 30 lakh in 2014 to nearly 77 lakh in 2026, the review said.
The next phase of the scheme, Modified UDAN, was launched on July 4, 2026, with a total outlay of Rs. 28,840 crore for implementation over ten years, from 2026-27 to 2035-36.
It focuses on strengthening aviation infrastructure, improving the sustainability of regional routes and promoting indigenous civil aircraft manufacturing.
Under the modified scheme, 100 airports will be developed from existing unserved airstrips at an estimated cost of Rs. 12,159 crore over eight years.
Around 441 aerodromes will receive three years of operation and maintenance support, with an estimated outlay of Rs. 2,577 crore.
The plan also provides for the development of 200 modern helipads at an estimated cost of Rs. 3,661 crore over eight years.
An allocation of Rs. 10,043 crore has been earmarked over ten years for viability gap funding to airlines operating regional routes.
To promote indigenous aviation capacity, Rs. 400 crore has been proposed for two HAL Dhruv helicopters for Pawan Hans and two HAL Dornier aircraft for Alliance Air.
The next phase will also strengthen coordination between the Centre, States and Union Territories.
A total of 21 memoranda of understanding have been signed involving the government, participating States and Union Territories, and the Airports Authority of India.
A dedicated Challenge Mode Portal will enable States and Union Territories to nominate airstrips and helipads for development based on regional requirements.
In the northeastern region, 90 priority regional connectivity routes have been operationalised, while 52 aerodromes, including heliports and water aerodromes, have been identified. Of these, 12 have been operationalised.
The impact of regional connectivity is evident in airports such as Purnea in Bihar, Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, Deoghar in Jharkhand and Kishangarh in Rajasthan.
The operationalisation of Purnea Airport in 2025 improved air access for more than 10 districts in Bihar, reducing travel time to Kolkata to around two hours and to Patna to about one hour.
Tezu Airport, operationalised in 2021, has improved connectivity for more than two lakh people in a remote part of Arunachal Pradesh and enabled air cargo exports of agricultural produce.
Deoghar Airport, which commenced operations in July 2022, has improved access for pilgrims visiting Baba Baidyanath Dham and facilitated travel to AIIMS Deoghar.
Kishangarh Airport has supported marble exports, tourism and employment in Rajasthan.
The Modified UDAN scheme seeks to build on these gains by addressing infrastructure gaps, supporting sustainable regional aviation operations and expanding air connectivity across diverse geographical regions of the country.
