459 routes involving 72 airports operationalised under UDAN

03 Feb 2023 CW Team

Under the Scheme, 459 UDAN routes involving 72 airports including nine heliports and two water aerodromes have been operationalised as on 30.01.2023, across the length and breadth of the country. Over 1.13 crore passengers have travelled in more than 2.16 Lakh UDAN flights, so far. The linkage between the Civil Aviation Sector and Economic Growth is well recognized. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) study shows that air connectivity would have economic multipliers of 3.1 and employment multiplier of 6.1. Challenges faced while implementing the scheme include:

i) Adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic
ii) Non-readiness of Civil Airports/Heliports, which could be related to availability of land, creation of regional infrastructure etc.
iii) Unsustainability of the operation on the awarded routes.
iv) Non-readiness of Selected Airlines Operators (SAOs)
v) Non-availability of slots at metro airports like Mumbai & Pune.
The government has planned to develop one hundred airports by 2024 to support UDAN scheme and operationalise 1000 UDAN routes during the currency of the Scheme. UDAN is an ongoing scheme where bidding rounds are conducted from time to time for covering more destinations/stations and routes under the scheme.

Eighteen airports have been identified under UDAN in the State of Uttar Pradesh out of which Kanpur, Prayagraj, Kushinagar, Hindon, Agra & Bareilly have been operationalised. Six Airports have been identified under UDAN in the State of Rajasthan out of which Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Kishangargh have been operationalised. Six Airports have been identified under UDAN in the State of Odisha out of which Jeypore, Jharsuguda and Rourkela have been operationalised.

Nine Heliports have been developed and operationalised in the NSOP category under the UDAN scheme in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Mandi and Rampur are in Himachal Pradesh while Almora, Chinyalisaur, Gaucher, Haldwani, New Tehri, Sahastradhara and Srinagar are in Uttarakhand.

Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNagrik) on 21.10.2016 to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country and making air travel affordable to the masses. UDAN is a market driven scheme. Interested airlines based on their assessment of demand on particular routes, submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN. Under the Scheme, 459 UDAN routes involving 72 airports including nine heliports and two water aerodromes have been operationalised as on 30.01.2023, across the length and breadth of the country. Over 1.13 crore passengers have travelled in more than 2.16 Lakh UDAN flights, so far. The linkage between the Civil Aviation Sector and Economic Growth is well recognized. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) study shows that air connectivity would have economic multipliers of 3.1 and employment multiplier of 6.1. Challenges faced while implementing the scheme include: i) Adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic ii) Non-readiness of Civil Airports/Heliports, which could be related to availability of land, creation of regional infrastructure etc. iii) Unsustainability of the operation on the awarded routes. iv) Non-readiness of Selected Airlines Operators (SAOs) v) Non-availability of slots at metro airports like Mumbai & Pune. The government has planned to develop one hundred airports by 2024 to support UDAN scheme and operationalise 1000 UDAN routes during the currency of the Scheme. UDAN is an ongoing scheme where bidding rounds are conducted from time to time for covering more destinations/stations and routes under the scheme. Eighteen airports have been identified under UDAN in the State of Uttar Pradesh out of which Kanpur, Prayagraj, Kushinagar, Hindon, Agra & Bareilly have been operationalised. Six Airports have been identified under UDAN in the State of Rajasthan out of which Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Kishangargh have been operationalised. Six Airports have been identified under UDAN in the State of Odisha out of which Jeypore, Jharsuguda and Rourkela have been operationalised. Nine Heliports have been developed and operationalised in the NSOP category under the UDAN scheme in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Mandi and Rampur are in Himachal Pradesh while Almora, Chinyalisaur, Gaucher, Haldwani, New Tehri, Sahastradhara and Srinagar are in Uttarakhand.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..