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Finance Minister Sitharaman said inspired by the success of the scheme, a modified UDAN plan will be rolled out to enhance regional connectivity to 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years
The UDAN scheme will support helipads and smaller airports in hilly Northeast regional districts. (AFP File Photo)
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Union Budget 2025 on Saturday that a modified UDAN scheme will now add 120 destinations to improve travel experience of middle-class people.
“The UDAN scheme has enabled 1.5 crore middle-class people to meet their aspirations for speedier travel. The scheme has connected 88 ports, airports and operationalised 698 routes,” said Sitharaman.
Finance Minister Sitharaman further said inspired by the success of the scheme, a modified UDAN plan will be rolled out to enhance regional connectivity to 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years.
“The scheme will also support helipads and smaller airports in hilly aspirational and Northeast regional districts,” said Sitharaman.
She further said, “Airport and the brownfield Airport in Beat up. Best Cosi Canal project in Milanal. Financial support will be provided for the Western Coast Sea Canal ERM project benefiting a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the region of Bihar.”
For FY25, the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Civil Aviation was reduced to Rs 2,357.14 crore, down from Rs 2,922.12 crore in the revised budgetary allocation for FY24. The regional air connectivity scheme, aimed at improving accessibility to remote areas, received Rs 502 crore, a significant cut from Rs 850 crore allocated in the FY24 revised budget. The scheme’s funds were intended to revive 22 airports, commencing 124 RCS routes, and providing Viability Gap Funding to enhance connectivity in the northeastern region.
UDAN scheme has enabled 1.4 crore middle-class people to meet their aspirations for speedier travel, said the finance minister.
The UDAN scheme was launched in October 2016 with the objective to connect small and medium cities with big cities through air service. Under the UDAN scheme, the airfare for a one-hour journey by a ‘fixed wing aircraft’ or half an hour’s journey by a helicopter for about 500 km, has been fixed at Rs 2,500.
In April 2017, the first flight from Shimla to Delhi under the UDAN scheme was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.
