UDAN scheme to continue for another 10 years: Aviation Minister

Bengaluru: The government plans to extend the regional connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) for 10 years beyond its current end date in 2027, the civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, informed on Monday.

Speaking at an event organised by  Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), he projected that India will operate 350 to 400 airports in the coming 20 to 25 years. Highlighting the potential of the Asia-Pacific region, he noted that it is expected to become the world's largest aviation market by 2035, with 3.5 billion passengers annually.

Naidu also said that  efforts are on to ensure that 1% of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) is blended with jet fuel for international commercial flights by 2027 and then increase the SAF quantum to 2% by 2028, 5% by 2030. 

He said that sustainable aviation practices should be promoted that will help in reducing overall carbon emissions and mentioned that Delhi and Mumbai international airports  are already carbon neutral.

The UDAN scheme, launched in 2016, was aimed at enhancing regional air connectivity in India. The minister underscored, "By operationalising over 583 routes, we are connecting 86 airports, many of which were previously underserved or unserved. More than 1.4 crore passengers have benefited from UDAN flights, with over 2.80 lakh flights operated under the scheme and a viability gap funding support of more than 3,700 crores."

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam added that 106 airports and airstrips have been identified to be developed for regional air connectivity.

Alexis Vidal, Chief Commercial Officer, ATR regional aircraft, observed, "In the past five years, our aircraft have contributed to creating more than 200 new city pairs across India." He talked of an exercise underway to identify opportunities for an additional 300 new city pairs, potentially adding 80 million annual passengers in regional air transportation.