UDAN Scheme: 649 Air Routes Connected, Extension Planned

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The government on Tuesday said the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, which has helped operationalise 649 routes connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports in nine years, will be continued beyond April 2027.

UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) was launched on October 21, 2016, and the first flight was operated between Shimla and Delhi on April 27, 2017.

"Under the scheme, 649 routes have been operationalised connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes, facilitating over 1.56 crore passengers through 3.23 lakh UDAN flights," the civil aviation ministry said in a release.

More than Rs 4,300 crore has been disbursed to airlines as Viability Gap Funding (VGF), and Rs 4,638 crore has been invested for airport development under the regional air connectivity scheme.

Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha has reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to continue the scheme beyond April 2027 through an expanded UDAN Framework focusing on connectivity with hilly, North Eastern and aspirational regions, and the development of around 120 new destinations, according to the release.