Lok Sabha Question No. 2670 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-27
Subject: Inter-connecting of Airports
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: M. K. RAGHAVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2670 (To be answered on the December 2018) 27th

## INTER-CONNECTING OF AIRPORTS

## 2670. SHRI MK RAGHAVAN

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

- (b) if so, the details thereof;

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether any proposal has been conceived to make India as a global aviation hub;
- the present status of the UDAN Scheme for connecting tier 2 and 3 airports across the country; and
- (d) whether any time table has been drawn to inter-connect the four airports of Kerala under the said scheme and if sO, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(Shri Jayant Sinha)

(a)&(b): With a view to promote the growth of Indian Aviation sector in a significant manner; the Government released the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 on 15.06.2016. The aim of the Government is to provide an ecosystem for the harmonised growth of various aviation subsectors; i.e Airlines, Airports, Cargo, Maintenance Repairs and Overhaul services (MRO); General A In compliance of NCAP-2016, broad steps taken are as under:

- ii) Revival of un-served or under-served routes under RCS UDAN.

1) Introduction of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) with an aim to facilitatelstimulate Regional air connectivity by making it affordable

- iii) Introduction of a new Category 'Schedule Commuter Operator' under Commercial Air Transport Operations
- The requirement for 5/20 is modified and all airlines can commence international operations provided that they deploy 20 aircraft or 20% of total
- iv) Rationalization of Category-I routes under Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDGs) o the basis of criteria given in NCAP 2016.
- capacity (in terms of average number of seats on all departure together) whichever is higher for domestic operations put
- vi) Liberalization of domestic code share in India within the framework of Air Service Agreements (ASA): points
- vii) With a view to modernize the existing airports so as to establish a high standard and facilitate in easing the pressure 0n the existing airports, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under automatic route has now been allowed in Brownfield Airport projects. This move would also serve in further developing the domestic aviation infrastructure: Further, FDI limit for Scheduled Air Transport Service/ Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline has been raised from 49% to 100%, with FDI up to 49% being permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49% through Government approval For Non-Resident Indians (NRI's), 100% FDI will continue to be allowed under automatic route. However, foreign airlines would continue to be allowed to invest in capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled subject to the laid down conditions in the existing policy. Increasing the FDI limit for these aviation services shall not only encourage competition by lowering prices but shall also accord choice to consumers.
- (c): Under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) 1 and 2, flights have commenced from RCS airports namely, Adampur, Agra, Bhatinda, Bhavnagar, Bikaner, Diu, Gwalior, Kadapa, Jagdalpur, Jalgaon, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Jharsuguda, Kandla, Kanpur, Kolhapur, Ludhiana, Mundra, Mysuru, Nanded, Ozar(Nasik), Pathankot; Puducherry, Porbandar, Salem, Shimla, Shillong; Vidyanagar, Allahabad, Hubli, Jorhat, Kishangarh, Pakyong and Tezpur.
- (d): RCS-UDAN is a demand driven Scheme and thus the development of regional air connectivity routes is left to market forces, such that interested airlines undertake assessment of demand and nature 0f supply required on particular route and participate in the bidding process being conducted by the Implementing Agency from\_time to time: Under RCS UDAN version 2, Kannur-Cochin and Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram routes have been awarded to Indigo Airline.