Skift India Report: Small Aircraft to Connect Remote Regions
Photo Credit: UDAN aims to make air travel more affordable and accessible. Kerala Backwaters, Alappuzha, India / kyran low
Skift Take
While more people from tier 2 and 3 towns can benefit from the next phase of the regional connectivity scheme, it needs some tweaking to generate enough enthusiasm from airlines and stakeholders.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has inaugurated UDAN 5.2, a new phase of the regional connectivity scheme “Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik” to improve last-mile connectivity in remote and underserved regions with small aircraft, specifically those with 1A (less than nine seats) and Category 1 (less than 20 seats).
“Today we have awarded 22 routes, which underlines the fact that air travel facility is being made available to citizens living in remote areas,” Scindia said during the 5th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit held at Khajuraho in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
Following four successful rounds of the scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation introduced UDAN 5.1 in May tailored to focus on helicopter routes.
More than 12.3 million passengers have traveled on UDAN flights since the inception of the scheme, according to a statement from the ministry. Till now, 148 airports, including nine heliports and two water aerodromes, have been developed and operationalized.
Launched in October 2016, UDAN aims to make air travel more affordable and accessible to a wider range of citizens by capping airfare on regional routes and providing financial incentives to airlines and airport operators. It encourages airlines to operate on underserved routes that may not be financially viable otherwise.
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