Q. What is the need for expanding the regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government’s UDAN Scheme and its achievements.

Model Answer:

The expansion of regional air connectivity in India is crucial for several reasons:

• Economic development: It stimulates growth in tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Ranchi, Raipur, and Bhubaneswar by improving access to markets, investments, and business opportunities.

• Enhanced accessibility: It connects remote areas such as Darbhanga (Bihar), Pakyong (Sikkim), and Tezu (Arunachal Pradesh), reducing isolation and promoting inclusive development.

• Tourism boost: Improved connectivity opens up new destinations like Khajuraho, Hampi, and the Andaman Islands, diversifying tourism options and increasing revenue.

• Time efficiency: Air travel reduces travel time by up to 80% compared to road or rail on routes like Delhi-Dehradun or Mumbai-Shirdi.

The government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, launched in 2016, addresses these needs by:

• Aiming to make air travel affordable and widespread, connecting 100 unserved and underserved airports.

• Capping fares at ₹2,500 per hour of flight for 50% of seats on flights under 500 km.

• Providing viability gap funding to airlines, with ₹4,500 crore allocated in the 2022-23 budget.

• Offering concessions like reduced GST on aviation turbine fuel and waiver of landing and parking charges at airports.

Achievements of the UDAN scheme include:

• Operationalization of 68 airports in smaller cities like Jharsuguda (Odisha) and Kannur (Kerala).

• Activation of 425 new air routes, expanding the air network to previously unconnected regions.

• Increase in passenger traffic on regional routes from 2.15 lakh in 2017 to over 1 crore in 2022.

• Creation of over 7,000 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs in aviation and allied sectors by 2022.

• Improved connectivity to northeast India, with 16 airports added in the region since 2016.

However, the scheme has faced challenges such as:

• Limited participation from major airlines on some routes, with only 50% of awarded routes operational.

• Infrastructure constraints at smaller airports, including inadequate night landing facilities and short runways.

• Sustainability concerns for some routes due to low passenger load, leading to route cancellations.

• Delays in operationalization of certain airports due to land acquisition issues and regulatory clearances.

Conclusion: UDAN has expanded regional air connectivity, fostering economic growth and accessibility, despite implementation challenges in infrastructure and route sustainability.