NEW DELHI: 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 confirmed UDAN will continue beyond 2027, adding 120 new regional destinations.