New Delhi, Oct 22
The government’s ten-year extension of the regional air connectivity program known as “Udan” will significantly enhance unserved air routes in underserved areas of the nation and satisfy the desires of the average citizenry.
The recently concluded eight-year “UDAN” program has contributed to tourism, created jobs, and spawned and expanded smaller airlines.
Air travel between distant regions of India and international locations has been transformed by the “UDAN” initiative. According to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, the program has so far benefited 1.44 crore passengers and operationalized 601 routes and 86 airports.
On April 27, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the first RCS-UDAN flight, which connected Delhi and Shimla. The program’s main goals are to realize the dreams of the average citizenry and upgrade unserved air routes in underserved areas of the nation.
Since many new and profitable airlines have emerged in the previous seven years, the RCS-UDAN is helping the civil aviation sector flourish.
The program has aided airline operators in establishing and refining a viable business plan. Furthermore, it gives small regional airlines Flybig, Star Air, IndiaOne Air, and Fly91 the chance to grow their operations; their prosperous operations demonstrate that the program is fostering a friendly environment that is favorable to airline operations.
The scheme’s gradual growth has increased demand for new aircraft while also expanding the types of aircraft that are being used.
This addition includes a wide variety of aircraft, including jet planes, helicopters, seaplanes, and three-seat propeller planes.
The increased demand for aircraft is supported by orders from Indian carriers, which total more than 1,000 aircraft scheduled for delivery within the next 10 to 15 years. This is a substantial addition to India’s current fleet, which consists of about 800 aircraft operated by different airlines, according to the government.
In addition to providing last-mile connectivity to tier 2 and tier 3 cities, RCS-UDAN is a major player in the rapidly growing tourism industry.
While UDAN 5.1 is focused on growing helicopter services in mountainous regions to promote tourism, hospitality, and local economic growth, UDAN 3.0 introduced tourism routes connecting multiple sites in the northeast region.
