Northeast to benefit from newly approved routes under UDAN

NEW DELHI | AUG 27, 2020:

The Civil Aviation Ministry has approved 78 new routes under the fourth round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country with a special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States and Islands.

The Civil Aviation Ministry said that the North East Region has been given priority in the approval process for the new routes with 29 served, eight unserved and two underserved airports have been included in the list for approved routes.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee said, the Ministry had launched the 4th round of UDAN in December last year.

"The airports that had already been developed by the Airport Authority of India are given higher priority for the award of VGF under the scheme. Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopters and seaplanes has also been incorporated. Since its inception, the MoCA has operationalised 274 UDAN routes that have connected 45 airports and 3 heliports," Padhee said.

Some of the approved RCS routes include Guwahati to Tezu, Tezu to Imphal, Hisar to Dehradun and Rupsi to Kolkata.

While Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh; Rupsi, Assam; Bilaspur, Chattisgarh; and Hisar, Haryana are among the unserved airports, Agatti, Lakshadweep and Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh is listed in underserved airports.

She said, the awarding of these 78 routes under UDAN – 4 is in line with the Act East Policy of the Central Government. Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopter and seaplanes is also been incorporated.

The Ministry said overall 766 routes have been sanctioned so far under the UDAN scheme.