The Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said that India will build 100 new airports over the next 10 years under the Centre's Regional Connectivity Scheme — Modified UDAN (UDAN) with an outlay of Rs 300 billion (Rs 300 bn). He inaugurated the country's third hub-and-spoke operation from Ahmedabad, intended to link passengers seamlessly to international destinations through domestic hubs. The minister indicated that the initiative forms part of a sustained expansion of air connectivity across the nation.

Naidu recalled that there were 74 airports in 2014 and that the network has expanded to 166 airports, describing the growth as a record for the country. He said that over the past 12 years a new airport or a new terminal was completed roughly every 40 days and that the current phase will aim to construct 100 additional airports within the announced budget. The Union Cabinet approved UDAN for a 10-year period from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36 with a total outlay of Rs 288.4 bn and budgetary support from the Centre.

Explaining the hub-and-spoke model, the minister described how major Indian cities typically host international services while smaller airports serve as spokes feeding passengers to hubs. He noted that Delhi offers direct connectivity to 54 destinations and that the model seeks to enable international travel for passengers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities by routing connections through hubs. The scheme began at Varanasi and Amritsar and Ahmedabad was chosen next owing to strong demand from the local non-resident Indian community.

Naidu emphasised that the principal challenge is not only the construction of airports but ensuring effective domestic and international connectivity so that new facilities are viable. He said that public demand now extends beyond rail connections and that communities in Himalayan regions, islands such as Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar group, and remote districts are seeking airport infrastructure. The minister underlined that civil aviation is the fastest-growing sector in India and that its expansion will generate significant economic activity and employment across multiple sectors. He also noted that Gujarat plays a pivotal role in national civil aviation policy and that the state leadership attended the inauguration.